Hello everyone!
This idea just popped into my mind, and I thought about writing it while trying to get my creative writing juices going. I would be grateful for any constructive feedback regarding this story.
Without further ado, please enjoy the chapter.
Chapter One "Returning Home"
"Founder!" Louise screamed as she exited the portal, which was supposed to bring her back home, and started rushing towards the ground that was far away from her. "I am going to kill you, whoever did this!"
All the way she screamed two of the most likely suspects, Romani or Da Vinci, popped up in her head. The heads of Chaldea's medical division or technology division both had the means and motive to screw with her one last time before she returned home. After all, Louise had pestered them countless times with questions about things she didn't know of Earth or things/concepts that didn't exist in her homeworld, but did on Earth.
She quickly banished the distraction that was founding someone to blame for her current predicament. A smile grew on Louise's face as she got a chance to demonstrate how far she had come since leaving Halkeginia and founding herself in Chaldea's HQ. For a moment, she almost wanted her former, fellow students to know what she was now capable of.
Louise clicked her fingers and started to bring her partially active Magic Circuits to full capacity.
The air that had been harshly battering her body started to calm down and actually started to slow her descent. Small jets of fire blew down against her. She started to fall at a comfortable speed. Louise also manipulated the air so that a good flow of oxygen was to constantly fuel the fires and cool her increasing body temperature caused by the flames.
"I wonder where in Halkeginia I am?" Louise wondered as she surveyed her surroundings. "I recognize some of the landmarks…" As she started to gear her bearings, her eyes lit up when she saw a certain landmark that she remembered well despite it being years seeing it. "Oh, isn't that Professor Colbert? Why is he out here? Is he teaching a practical class today?"
As Louise manipulated fire and air in a fashion similar to a rocket, she shot forward. Professor Colbert started to become larger and Louise started to notice that he looked anxious. His eyes darting around as if trying to locate something precious.
Louise was about to ask Colbert what he was looking for when she saw several figures that she remembered well from her memories. She shook her head. It was impossible that she was looking at the same people Louise had been thinking about. It had been years since she had disappeared from Halkeginia and arrived on Earth. Her fellow students should have graduated years ago. Maybe the students she was looking at were so similar in appearance to those she knew because they were closely related.
Maybe these students are children of my fellow students, Louise thought as she recalled Romani's and Da Vinci's warnings that time in Halkeginia likely passed at a different rate from that of Earth.
She started to reduce her speed as not to alarm the guards manning the towers and patrolling Tristanian Magic Academy. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her homecoming with anxious people pointing weapons at her. Louise soon reached the acceptable slow speed used by those of friendly or neutral parties on a flying magical beast to broadcast their friendly intent to those guarding an area.
A smile blossomed on her face when she noticed that the guards had noticed her presence, but they were very relaxed. Louise had not spooked them and only caused them to observe her as they had been trained to do.
"Since this is my first time back home in years, I might as well make a flashy entrance." Louise muttered to herself happily.
Louise made her way to where Colbert and his class of students, who looked similar to her fellow classmates, while making the flames and wind she manipulated flashy, but not too powerful that the guards might mistake her for using powerful magic.
She floated in the sky for a while, so Colbert and his class stared at her.
"Professor Colbert, may I ask what you are looking for? I am happy to help you out." She asked as landing, casting a spell on the ground she was planning to land on. Earth shifted and softened to become similar to a helipad with the outline made of water instead sprayed ink. Louise landed softly.
"Is that you, Karin?" Colbert asked in a surprised tone.
Louise raised a brow at Colbert's response. During her years on Earth, she had physically grown and her resemblance to her mother had become more pronounced, but there was one aspect that she was nowhere close in matching her mother. A part of the female biology that she was no longer insecure about as she was no longer a washboard with modest breasts to call her own.
She quickly dismissed why Colbert might have mistaken her for her mother, Karin, and focused on why casually Colbert had called her mother's first name. It suggested that Colbert was someone that knew her mother fairly well since he did not use Karin's title of nobility and surname. Louise became interested in the relationship that her mother and Colbert possibly had. Most of her mother's friends were those that had served in the military with long service to the Tristian crown and great achievements under their belt.
"I am surprised that you knew my mother, Professor," Said Louise in a very interested tone. "It is me, Louise. A student of yours from a couple years back."
"Impossible!" A red-haired girl shouted.
The shouting caused Louise to frown in displeasure. It was quite rude to be interrupted, but she was slightly annoyed more from the fact that someone who looked eerily the same and possessed a similar voice to the girl that had bullied her in the past.
Louise was about to rebuke the girl for being rude when she was interrupted again.
"There is no way you can be Louise! She was short, and flat as a board! Completely the opposite of you." A boy shouted, another person that looked and sounded eerily similar to a classmate of Louise.
A vein near Louise's temple bulged and the muscles around that area tightened. She felt very close to exploding in rage at the boy's words. Louise might have greatly matured during her time as Chaldean Master, but that didn't mean the explosive temper of her childhood had disappeared. It had only become much more difficult to trigger as she had learned to control her anger.
The girl that looked and sounded remarkable similar to Kirche von Anhalt Zerbst was forgotten as Louise turned her attention to the boy that bore great resemblance in appearance and voice to Guiche de Gramont. Louise was about to reprimand the boy down when she was interrupted again. This time by another girl, who looked like a splitting image of another of Louise's classmates, Montmorency de Montmorency.
"Why do you even claim to be Zero? Did she pay you off since you looked similar to her, and use you to claim to have the ability to use proper magic after showing off magic skills to use the four elements?" The blonde girl shouted.
Louise had been able to control her temper remarkable well the first time, but the second time had been pushing it. When she was insulted the third time Louise couldn't handle it anymore. For the first time in years, the famous explosive temper of hers reared its head.
"Explosion!" Louise shouted as she snapped her fingers while pointing her hand at the blond girl.
A small mass of water, earth, air and fire materialized near the blonde girl and exploded. The girl was hit by violent winds and her clothes became dirtied and soaked in water before a short-lived burst of intense heat caused the blond girl's clothes to become sticky and wet similar to being in hot humid temperatures while the mud hardened.
"Why did you do that, Miss?!" Colbert shouted.
"I am teaching the girl not to insult me," Louise huffed.
He stared at Louise in disapproval and said, "There is no need to embarrass Miss Montmorency. You should have used words like a proper adult."
Louise rolled her eyes. She resisted the urge to rebuke Colbert. Just because someone was an adult didn't mean they couldn't act like a child anymore. The only reason someone might not act "childishly" was because they didn't want to ruin their reputation.
Her attention was soon grabbed by what the students around her was saying about her. It was amusing to hear the amazement and fear they had for her. The level of control she had shown was something to marvel at as it was something very few mages in their teenage years or early twenties were able to achieve. Louise basked in the glory. This was what she had imagined that she would receive after returning back to Halkeginia.
Her sense of achievement started to subside when Louise began to hear conversation that confused her at first, but soon started to make sense. Louise's face started to lose color when her first assumptions about Colbert's students turned out to be a misconception. Misinterpretation on her part that had led to missing some very obvious things.
Founder! Louise screamed in her mind. How did I come to the conclusion that I was looking at students that had striking resemblance and voice to my classmates as a coincidence or that their similarities were because they were my classmates' children/relatives?! She looked at Colbert and asked, "How long has it been since Louise Valliere went missing?"
"It has only been several minutes so far," Colbert responded.
Louise pinched her nose. "Several years have passed on Earth, but only a couple of minutes in Halkeginia." She sighed. "Well, there goes Romani's and Da Vinci's speculation that time might move faster in Halkeginia compared to Earth." A very confused Colbert looked at her as if wanting to know what she was speaking about. "Professor Colbert, this may sound like nonsense, but please take me seriously. That missing student of yours is standing right before you. I am Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière."
To Louise's relief, Colbert nodded as if believing her words. She didn't know why Colbert was trusting her, someone that looked like a complete stranger to him, but she was glad that her former teacher believed her.
"That explains why you looked so familiar to me and your voice matched that of Louise," Said Colbert in a fascinated tone as he rubbed his chin. "I don't know what you had experienced in what should logically have been several minutes, but it must have been an adventure of several years at the very least given your physical growth and maturity I see before me."
Louise smiled and said happily, "Thank you for believing me despite how absurd it seems. At a later time, I will prove to you that I am really Louise Valliere." She jerked at the listening students. "You might want to talk to your students."
All of the students were staring and had been listening to Louise's and Colbert's conversation with interest. It was obvious that many didn't believe Louise's claims, but some actually believed in it, or at least thought parts of her "claim" were true.
"I refuse to believe you are Louise!" Kirche shouted as she scrutinized Louise. "There is no such thing as time magic, such a thing exists only in fiction."
Louise snorted. Maybe if she had been the same girl before landing in Chaldea HQ and dealing with Singularities with Chaldea's Servants then Louise would have reacted the same as Kirche. She had witnessed too many unbelievable scenes of magical knowledge and abilities that things such as time manipulation magic were the last of things that she knew about. Hell! Chaldea itself manipulated time themselves to send Masters and Servants into the past and future to eliminate Singularities. She had even fought against beings that possessed god-like powers or were gods!
Instead of trying to reason with Kirche how time magic was possible, Louise decided to use knowledge that Kirche would believe only a Valliere would know. Louise opened her mouth and started to speak of an event that had been covered up by both the Valliere and Zerbst families due to how scandalous it would have been if the public was to ever learn about it.
"Enough!" Kirche shouted just as Louise was about to reveal the juicy and scandalous part. "I don't know if you're really Louise, but at least I know that you're a Valliere."
The students became interested in what they learned from Louise and wanted to know more about the part that Kirche had interrupted. They had been about to speak when Colbert spoke up.
"Enough! Class is over. You are all dismissed!" Colbert shouted and before anyone had time to refute him, dragged Louise away by the hand and disappeared.
- O -
"What a very fascinating tale you have told me, Miss Valliere." Said Osmond, Headmaster of the Tristanian Magic Academy after listening to Louise's very long story. "Despite how absurd it sounds, I believe you."
Louise was somewhat surprised that Osmond would accept her summarized and censored explanation of her adventures on Earth as a member of Chaldea. If she thought about it a bit, it made sense Osmond was not surprised. He was a Headmaster of a school dedicated to nobility. As the headmaster, he would have dealt with the politics of the nobility all the time. One had to be very good at detecting deception and truth if they wanted to survive and thrive in politics. Osmond likely detected that she was telling the truth and could only accept what seemed like an impossible story as she had spoken nothing else but the truth.
"What is your take on Miss Valliere's tale," Said Osmond as he glanced at Colbert.
The urge to laugh came to Louise as she heard Colbert's quiet muttering. Colbert was struck in his own little world likely thinking about the Earth she had described to him. In a certain way, Colbert had been born in the wrong world. He was a mage, but someone unlike many traditionalist and conservative mages of Halkeginia, who embraced technology and was fascinated by it. If Colbert was on Earth, Louise didn't doubt he was possibly someone that had the potential to do great things thanks to his passion for technology and bright intellect.
"Jean," Osmond said in a firmer tone. "What do you think?"
"Sorry Headmaster," Colbert apologized as he snapped out of his pondering. "I see no reason not to believe Miss Valliere. In fact, the fascinating contraptions she described seem too realistic to be fake. I have spent years trying to develop technology that seems like the primitive forefather to the vehicles she describes are on Earth."
"Professor, what was it that you were trying to make again…?" Louise asked as she racked her mind to recall what had been information from several years ago from her perspective. "Oh, right!" Her mind finally flashed. "What you have been experimenting with was something remarkably similar to the steam engine!"
"Yes, that is what I have been experimenting with. While I didn't call it an engine, I did use the word steam to describe how steam was used to power to…" Colbert launched into a conversation where Louise was happy to join in.
Osmond watched amusingly from the side as he listened to the enthusiastic pair talk. He was interested in the first few minutes, but started to become bored when the conversation went beyond what Osmond knew. It was when nearly half an hour passed that he couldn't bear to wait any longer.
"Ahem," Osmond coughed.
"Apologizes, Headmaster." Said Colbert and Louise.
"It's all good. Please continue your conversation after this meeting." Osmond smiled before he turned to Louise. "Miss Valliere, if you're a fraction capable of what you described in your stories then your knowledge and abilities far exceed what is taught to those in this academy. I see no reason why you should continue studying here when you're already in your early twenties."
Louise paused to think for a minute. "While it is true I may know more then what may be taught in this school, I would be arrogant to claim that there is nothing more for me to learn." She said while shaking her head. "On Earth, there is a wise man that once said, 'real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance' (Confucius). Until I decide what to do in the future, for now I want to continue attending class as if I never disappeared."
"This man you quoted is surely a very wise sage." Osmond nodded in approval at the saying. "If you wish to continue studying, I see no reason to deny you." He turned to Colbert. "It is Professor Colbert that will have the final say. He is after all your teacher."
"I would love to have you continue studying in my class," Colbert responded happily. "It is just that… I don't know if you will be comfortable being taught in a class of students that are several years younger than you."
She snorted. "A couple of children looking down on me is something I can easily handle. Besides the same wise sage, I quoted earlier believed that there is no such thing as being too old to learn."
"This wise sage, I would love to hear about him." Colbert spoke in a very curious tone.
"I would be more than happy to teach you what I know of Confucius." Louise nodded. "You must have many questions that were not answered by my story. Please go ahead and ask away."
Colbert was the first to speak. "How are you able to use magic without causing explosions anymore?"
"It's all thanks to Chaldea," Said Louise as she smiled while recalling what Chaldea had done for her in return for her service as a Master. "The people and resources at Chaldea's disposal is unbelievable. It is not impossible to say that if they were not devoted to the continuation of the human race that they could easily conquer and create an empire." She shuddered as Louise recalled the Heroic and Divine Spirits that could slay immortals, gods and any creature thought as invincible. "If Chaldea was to somehow appear in Tristan in the future, I would recommend to never annoy them. Even if Brimir returned to fight Chaldea, he would be crushed."
It was no surprise to Louise when Osmond and Colbert didn't seem to be convinced with her advice. You had to witness the power of Chaldea's Servants in person, especially the Grand Servants, in person to believe. A cold shudder ran down her spine when Louise recalled how Chaldea had gotten their hands on nuclear weapons, and with the help of some of the greatest scientific minds to ever exist in Earth's history turned the already formidable nuclear weapon up several-fold in power.
"Can you describe what Chaldea did to allow you to use magic without causing explosions?" Colbert asked curiously.
"It was incredibly complex that I only know of the basics," Said Louise as she recalled what Romani had told her. "In simple terms, several operations were performed on my body and soul to correct deficiencies that limited my magic to explosions."
"Could you explain in further detail about these 'operations' and what you mean by 'deficiencies' were?" Osmond inquired.
"You would have to first understand the fundamentals of what Earth calls Modern Magecraft before you could hope to understand what was done to me," Said Louise as she shook her head. "Something I would love to spread for all mages to know." She quickly covered her mouth as if Louise said something she shouldn't have. Louise turned to gaze at Osmond while glancing at Colbert. "Can Professor Colbert be trusted with secrets of the Crown?"
Osmond and Colbert underwent radical transformation. The headmaster was no longer that of a wise and caring old man Louise knew and in his place was a very serious and passionate nationalist. A famous mage once known as the Flame Snake was born again for the first time in more than a decade.
"Professor Colbert can be trusted with whatever you wish to speak." Osmond glanced at Colbert. "Isn't that right, Jean?"
"I may have retired from active service, Miss Valliere, but I am still devoted to my country." Said Colbert. "On my name as the Flame Snake, I swear whatever you have to speak will remain a secret that I shall take to the grave."
Louise jumped up and pointed at Colbert. She had always heard stories of Tristan's heroes while growing up. Alongside growing up learning the legendary feats of her mother, there had always been another Tristanian hero that her mother had held with high regard, which was the Flame Snake. Out of all the people Louise had thought could be the mysterious Flame Snake, Professor Colbert had been the very last person for her to suspect.
Calm yourself, Louise. She told herself as she relaxed. "Please send word to the Crown that I may have secured the means for our kingdom's independence without having to sacrifice the Princess to Germania."
"Do you have the knowledge or means to replicate many of the fascinating things you have told me about in your tales?" Osmond inquired.
"Maybe…" Louise remarked mysteriously.
The treasure trove that was inside her head was waiting to be exploited. Louise thought about what would help Tristan immediately to secure its independence by strengthening itself. Just as she thought about what she could offer her country, Louise abruptly stood up as she realized a scenario that might ruin everything.
"Scratch that!" Louise shouted as she made her way to the nearest window. "This is too important to risk Tristanian's enemies and traitors to learn about if the message is intercepted or discovered by spies. I will go to the Crown in person."
Louise ran out the window. She jumped into the air and shot towards Tristan's capital at the fastest speed she could without tiring herself before she arrived at the Capital.
The stunned Osmond and Colbert stared at Louise's figure as it disappeared into the distance.
"That girl reminds me too much of Karin when she was Louise's age." Colbert muttered as he recalled his youth. "I suggest we place the academy on lockdown so no information about Louise's newfound abilities leak."
"Maybe Louise's newfound abilities have already leaked," Said Osmond as he rubbed his beard. "The sudden appearance of such a powerful and capable Square-class mage at such a young age is bound to catch some prying eyes." The Headmaster sighed. "I will initiate the lockdown. At the very least if information about the appearance of a powerful young mage has leaked, they are unlikely to have learned/believe that it was Louise. We cannot afford information that Louise may possess to strengthen Tristan to leak."
"We should prepare to change our teaching curriculum to a war-time one. I suspect that we likely have a war may be brewing depending on how the Crown responds to Louise's knowledge or does Tristan's enemies." Colbert commented in a serious tone as he continued to stare where Louise had disappeared from his sight.