Twisted Reflections

by vendetta543

She was a failure of a Mage, unable to cast even the simplest of spells. He was an Undead, a monster used as a pawn in battle he could never understand. They had nothing in common, and yet fate saw it fit to bind the two souls together.

41. Homecoming

Hopefully this chapter won't piss off too many people :p I know I'll have at least one guy calling BS on the revelations here but we'll see how it goes.

Well, before we start I gotta thank everyone for their compliments to my fight scenes. I know they're not my best work so I appreciate that you guys still like/tolerate them.

And...wow. I can't believe I actually made it this far. I mean I thought about the homecoming chapter as far as two years ago but I didn't think it would take 41 chapters to get here. The story underwent some rather major changes as well so my original plan for this chapter changed as well. Hope you guys will like it.

Gotta thank Hostis again; forgot to in the last chapter. Now I'm sure there's still going to be some mistakes but it's undoubtedly better than without proofreading.

---

Moving back to the academy was done relatively quickly. Scarron and Jessica were surprised by how suddenly they had to leave but they let them go with their blessings. He might have been imagining it but he could have sworn his master was actually reluctant to leave...no, that was impossible. She hated every day she spent in that place, complaining constantly about being groped or having to serve drunken lechers. There was no chance in the abyss that his master would ever miss that place.

As soon as they had arrived it was business as usual once more. He had spent the past couple of days simply shadowing Louise while Siesta continued to ignore him; even the trip back was eerily silent as none of them had deigned to talk to one another. He was used to silence and a lack of conversation, but the awkward feeling hanging over the air caused him no small amount of discomfort.

Barring the awkward trip back it was as if all that nonsense with espionage and assassins hadn't occurred. A part of him still wondered if he simply hadn't imagined the events of the past few weeks. It was, after all, rather absurd even by the standards of this world. While it was underwhelming considering everything he'd seen, that young man's ability to control inanimate objects and coat them with magic was something he'd never seen before.

Though in the end, it didn't save him.

They spent three more days in the academy. Ostensibly it was because she needed to pack her things and prepare for a (possibly long term) visit but she had finished her preparations on the first night back. Given how much she was pacing and muttering to herself it was much more likely that she didn't know what she would do once she actually met those beloved parents of hers. He had to admit that trying to sleep had proven difficult when she insisted on pacing until early in the morning and only resting once she finally fainted from exhaustion.

It was at the fourth day of their stay that fate came knocking in the form of a rather irate older sister.

Raziel looked to where Louise was sleeping. Ever since their argument they no longer shared the same bed and he resigned himself to being in the straw 'bed' once more. To be honest he didn't really mind it, but Louise seemed to have gotten used to the presence of another person at her bed. Twice now she had woken up after a mere couple hours of sleep groping at her side and panicking when she couldn't feel anyone.

He sighed. The stress of the impending conflict was definitely getting to her.

He stood up and walked over to her side. Her skin was clammy and covered in sweat, no doubt from a mixture of stress and exhaustion. Further hinting at her fatigue were the bags under her eyes along with the occasional movement and muttering in her sleep. Grabbing the cloth at the table he wiped away the accumulated sweat and sat at the bed's edge. Their relationship was strained but a Familiar had to look out for its master.

"R...Raziel?" Her hands groped blindly at her sides before she finally caught sight of him looking down at her. Immediately she let out a sigh of relief, "You're here...I thought..."

"Where else would I go?" He looked away from her, "You have only had three hours of sleep. You need to rest."

"Wait...what time is it?" She sat up and held her head as a sudden dizziness hit her, "Ohhh, I feel sick," She covered her mouth with a free hand. She felt like vomiting, "How long were you awake?"

"Two hours now," He stood up and deposited the cloth back at the table, "I do not actually need to sleep, as you well know," He threw the curtains open, eliciting a hiss from the newly awakened girl. It was too damn bright, "As for the time, it is already morning. I do not see how it matters, however, as you will likely just spend the entire day pacing and muttering to yourself again before fainting."

"Shut up..." She grabbed a pillow and stuffed her face into it. He didn't understand; how was she supposed to convince her parents about wanting to go to war? She was the third child of the family and honored sister Eleanor was already due to be married so it wasn't as if they were in danger of losing a possible heir, but her parents were rather...protective of them all. She could safely say that whatever Raziel had done to Wardes was a mercy to what her mother and father would have put him through.

"I speak only the truth," He scoffed, "We left the inn so you could go back home and get your family's permission, and yet here we are wasting our time. Have you even told your parents of your intent to visit?"

"Well...no," She grumbled, "I mean, how am I supposed to say something like that in a letter? 'Dearest mother and father, I plan to go to war. Fear not, however, as I have recently awakened to the lost art of Void Magic and as such am much less likely to die horribly'," She rolled her eyes, "They would confine me to my room and deem me insane. I need to tell them myself."

"I wish you luck then," He shrugged.

"You could be a bit more concerned, you know?" She chastised, "I mean you're gonna come with me and they're going to be asking questions as to why I have a human Familiar. That's not exactly normal."

"You didn't summon a human," He bit back, "And it is doubtful that they will care about your pet. That is what I am, after all."

"Oh, will you let that go!" She hissed, "What do you want me to say? I already told you I didn't really mean it! I was panicking and worried about the princess, so I just said what would get you to move. I'd go back and say something else if I could but what's done is done. Can't we just let it go and move on?"

His only response was to raise his middle finger at her. She scowled, but didn't bother verbally replying. An argument wasn't what they needed and she had to be the bigger person here even if he was deliberately provoking her. She knew he had good reason for his anger but her best friend's life was on the line and she couldn't exactly let her go unprotected. Especially since those assassins could use spirit magic.

Stamping footsteps drew his attention and he grabbed the knife at the table. No one came to visit his master and it was unlikely to start now.

The intruder that barged through the door was different from what he expected, however.

"Tiny Louise! Where are you!?" The first thing he noticed was the full head of blonde hair followed by the scowl adorning her face. Her attire consisted of nothing more than a white blouse and purple skirt; she certainly didn't appear like an assassin. He blinked: She looked rather similar to his master sans height and hair color; they even shared the same habit of looking like they swallowed something unpleasant whenever they were angry.

"Honored Sister Eleanor!?" Louise sat up in her bed, her eyes wide, "Wh-What are you doing here!? I didn't-"

Her question was interrupted as the older woman grabbed her cheeks and unpleasantly pulled them apart, "What is this 'going to war' business, huh!?" She pinched harder, causing the pinkette to squeal in pain, "Are you stupid!? No, I shouldn't even have to ask that! You must be if you even considered something as foolish as this!" She let go of the younger girl's cheeks, a scowl still marring her face.

Louise was nearly crying from the strain on her face, but she forced herself to speak up, "How...How did you know?" She rubbed the reddened skin, "I didn't-"

"That doesn't matter," She deflected, "What matters now is that we have to discuss this foolishness! You honestly believe that you're meant to go to war!?"

"Y-Yes!" She winced back and closed her eyes as her older sister raised her hands to her face once more.

The contact never came, however. Hesitantly opening her eyes she gasped as she caught sight of Raziel holding both of the woman's wrists back. The blonde's attention was drawn from her younger sister to the new arrival.

"Stop hurting her," He snarled. Eleanor opened her mouth to say something but he pushed her away roughly before she could.

"What the- How dare you!?" Raziel's expression remained neutral even as Louise shrunk back, "Louise, who is this!?" She shoved her pointer finger roughly at his chest, "Is this a new servant? What is he doing in your room!?"

"I-I can explain!" Louise raised her hands and shook them in a panic, "He's my frie- Familiar! He's my Familiar!" She took a deep breath, "You can ask big sis Catt! I told her a few months ago!"

"A Familiar? This little boy?" Her tone made it clear she didn't believe her, "You expect me to believe this child could be a Familiar?"

"It-It's true!" Louise stood up and grabbed his hand before drawing it close to her face, "Look at these runes! The branding means he's my Familiar and bound to me by the magic of the ritual."

Eleanor leaned forward, eyes narrowed, and read the branded runes aloud, "Gand..." She shook her head. She didn't know all the letters but ultimately it didn't matter. He wasn't why she was here, "No matter. I didn't come here to talk about your lack of magic," Louise winced at the jab, "I've come to take you home."

"Wh-What? What do you mean 'take me home'!?"

"Exactly that," She affirmed, "Mother and father know about your inane plans to go to war and they want to talk to you. So pack your things and move, I already have a carriage prepared."

"B-But-"

"Also, we need a servant to carry our things," She continued, ignoring her sister's protests, "Make sure that you bring the appropriate things. You'll need your books along with the rest of your school materials."

"Why do I-"

"Don't ask questions," She snapped, "Just prepare your things. We're going home."

---

In all honesty he expected his master to act differently when confronted with her siblings. In the months she'd known her he'd learned that the girl was headstrong, almost stupidly so, and provided it wasn't that tyrant she was willing to stand her ground and argue till she was ready to faint. He had to admit, he found it slightly charming, in a suicidal sense at least. Were she an Undead it would take a lot for her to Hollow.

Right now, however, she was acting contrary to his expectations. When the older girl, Eleanor, talked she listened with rapt attention and her only replies were 'Of course, honored sister'. He clenched his hands on his crossed arms as he saw the older woman pull her cheeks again. They didn't get along, but seeing her get hurt was still unpleasant all things considered.

Of course there was nothing he could do considering they were a carriage apart.

Raziel looked to his right: Siesta sat close to the window, confusion etched onto her features. When his master was asked to get a personal servant she'd immediately blurted out the dark haired maid's name. Whether it was out of panic or a sense of familiarity due to recent events he didn't know, but right now he was forced to share a carriage with her and he sorely wished he wasn't.

"...Sorry for getting you involved again," He was the first to speak. She didn't reply, "I understand that you find this unpleasant but..." He stopped. He was never good at starting conversations; by the abyss there were times he could barely respond.

"It's no problem..." Her voice sounded strained, "It wasn't as if we were doing anything. It's been a lot less busy these past few days with some of the students going home. Everyone's in a panic about this coming war."

"What about your family? You mentioned before that they might be forced to get involved."

"Yeah..." She nodded, "Julien signed up to be a cabin boy, or at least that's what he tells me," She bit her lip, "I wouldn't be surprised if he was conscripted. The way things are going I won't be surprised if my dad is forced to fight as well. They need more and more able-bodied men and it's cheaper than hiring mercenaries. Rumor has it that Albion has ogres and other monsters at their side."

"...I see," He wanted to say something, anything, to keep the conversation going, "...I am sorry."

"What for?" She looked at him, confused.

"...I do not know..." He sighed, "Just...sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," She sighed as well, "This war isn't your fault or Miss. Valliere's. Nobles want power, right? They always want power..." He could see her hands shaking, "They're the reason this war started, not you."

"Perhaps..." His mind drifted back to the final night at Newcastle. Wales...from what he'd heard from Siesta and the other 'commoners' he'd have thought all nobles were nothing more than power hungry leeches who fed until their stomachs were fit to burst. And yet, what he had seen at Newcastle proved that at least some of them were human. Drinking, eating and attempting procreation in a desperate attempt to stem their fear of death.

He had no doubt that the nobles would benefit from this war, but some of them would still suffer alongside their 'lessers'.

"Where are we going?" She spoke up again, "I didn't really get what's happening; I was just ordered by that woman to follow."

"We are going to master's home..."

"You mean Miss. Valliere's home?" He nodded, "So that woman-"

"Her sister," He scoffed, "She wants to convince Louise not to go to this damned war, but I doubt she will succeed. She is attached to the tyrant's backside and if the queen wishes for her to go to war then she will do so."

"So they're worried about their daughter," She muttered, "Well, I guess we'll see what happens. Who knows, maybe she can be convinced not to go and then you won't have to either..."

Ah, they were back to this.

"Siesta, war or no war I am still dying. I do not-"

"Every day that passes we're all closer to dying!" She snapped, "It doesn't mean that you or Julien should put yourselves at risk like this! I'm sorry for being worried but you'll excuse me if I don't like it when my younger brother and friend are so insistent on putting themselves in the way of bullets and cannonballs!"

"I know your reasons..." He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head, "But it doesn't change the truth. I do not fancy going to this war any more than you would in my position but some things are unable to be controlled. I will fight against fate to my last embers of Humanity but we both know who will end up the victor of that conflict," He smiled wryly, "Master will find a way to go to this war one or another."

The rest of the ride was quiet. It was only after a few more hours of riding that they could finally make out the silhouette of the mansion Louise called home.

"It's so big..." Siesta gasped, leaning her head out of the window.

He had to agree with her. He'd seen splendor before, but barring the halls of Anor Londo it paled in comparison to the size of the Valliere estate. Structures such as the royal palace of Tristain or Newcastle were larger, but they were meant to fit royalty and their subjects. This house, if he could even call it that, was meant for nothing more than a family and their servants and yet they nearly matched them in size.

Dismounting the transport, he took half of the luggage from the compartment, ignoring Siesta's insistence that it was her job to carry all of it. Ahead of him Louise and her witch of an older sister had dismounted as well and were quickly being fussed over by all manner of servants. If they had that many servants then what was the point of dragging Siesta into this?

"Mistress Louise, how you've grown!"

"You're certainly maturing into a beauty, Lady Valliere!"

"Please relax! You're home once more!"

He was confused; given his master's behavior along with that witch's action he expected her to be mistreated, and yet the servant's affectations were sincere. He could see the love and care they were giving his master was genuine, if slightly forceful.

"I suppose Miss. Valliere is adored by the servants," Siesta whispered. He nodded blankly.

It wasn't long before the ladies' possessions were taken from them and the pair were forced to follow Louise and Eleanor. Siesta looked down, fidgeting with the folds of her dress nervously, while Raziel did his best to avoid eye contact with the rest of the servants. Ahead of him Louise was faring no better was she ignored the servants' compliments in favor of rubbing her red cheeks.

"Welcome back, mistresses!"

He couldn't help but blink in surprise at the greeting. Two entire rows of maids and butlers, all bowing at once the second the daughters crossed the entrance. Next to him Siesta gasped as well. This was the type of service they would give the queen.

He looked around. The inside of the mansion was just as grandiose as the outside with its expensive paintings and marble pillars. How much did it cost to build a home like this? And unlike Tabitha's estate there wasn't a single hint of decay or disrepair. His master had told him before that her family was important and that they were close to the crown but he hadn't taken it so literally.

"There are a lot of servants..." Raziel muttered. Personally he thought it was impractical; he could count at least over two dozen of them near the entrance alone. What did they need so many servants for?

His attention was drawn from the servants to the woman standing at the bottom of the stairway ahead of them. When did she...he hadn't even seen her. It didn't take him long to figure out that this was another sibling; the pink hair was a rather significant clue, although given how young his master looked he would have been surprised if she was her mother.

"Big sis Catt!" Well, there went that idea. Forgetting about her trepidation entirely, the smaller pinkette all but ran to the smiling woman and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace, "You're here! Wait, how are you here? I thought-"

"I'm fine, Louise," Cattleya smiled gently and ruffled her sister's hair, "I've been feeling better in recent days, actually. Your letters helped with that."

"R-Really" She looked up, trying to see if the woman was lying. Her letters weren't exactly among the most cheerful in recent days, "Have you been taking your medicine? What about the treatments? I asked you about how you were doing but you never told me-"

"Louise, please, I'm alright!" She insisted, "I was just treated a couple of days ago. It should be fine."

"Truly?" The younger girl looked down hesitantly before pressing her hand against the older woman's wrist. If she was telling the truth then doing this should be alright. After all, she looked much better compared to before-

She flinched and step back: She could feel the skin under her sister's blouse lurching.

"That's enough, tiny Louise!" Eleanor scolded, pulling the girl back, "Mother is already waiting for all of us and it'd be rude to keep her waiting."

Raziel watched as his master was all but dragged to the dining room despite her protests. Looking closer now he could see the faint marks of tears on her cheeks. She had been crying? What exactly had her sister done to her?

"Hmm?" A voice hummed closely. Too close. He looked ahead and stepped back at the sight of Cattleya's face nearly pressed against his. Her eyes looked him up and down though her expression remained neutral. He caught her gaze and immediately looked away; there was something in her eyes that made it uncomfortable to look at her. Even being near her caused a warmth to spread over his body.

"...Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," She leaned back and smiled pleasantly, "It's just that Louise has told me a lot about you. I admit, I thought you'd be older all things considered," She giggled. For some reason he felt a chill go up his spine at the sound, "I'm not mistaken, right? You're her Familiar?" Her eyes focused on his hair. If she recalled right his hair was described as white but now it appeared to be splashed with flecks of brown.

"Yes..." He stepped back and hid his left hand behind his back. Being near her was uncomfortable, "What has she told you?"

"Hmm, I think I'll keep that to myself," She hummed to herself and followed her sisters to the dining hall. Perhaps it was nothing more than an illusion but he could have sworn he saw something move underneath her sleeve.

Raziel watched her go warily before releasing a mimicked breath. The second she was out of sight it felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Raziel, what's wrong?" Siesta shook his shoulder softly, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"...It is nothing."

---

Dinner was about as awkward as expected. Thankfully he and Siesta were a fair distance away, standing off to the side of the dining hall along with some other servants as the family of four ate. From what he'd gleaned Louise's father wasn't due to come back until tomorrow morning which no doubt meant that Louise would spend the rest of the night worrying to herself on how she could convince her parents.

His eyes scanned the table. The food was expensive and well-made, above even the standards of the academy, but his attention was focused on the woman sitting at the head of the table. He could reasonably assume she was Louise's maternal parent - She appeared older than the three previous females and she shared the same pink color as his master and Miss. Cattleya.

Despite her age - which he assumed to be nearing old age considering the witch's own age - she still appeared to be well-held; similar to Siegmeyer in a sense, though he was pretty sure that she wasn't an Undead or else his master would have some explaining to do. If he didn't know any better he would have assumed her to simply be another sibling of his master. She didn't appear that much older than the witch.

From a purely aesthetic perspective she was beautiful. At least in his opinion.

"The princess needs me!" Louise stood up abruptly, slamming her hands on the table. He wondered briefly what they were discussing that led to her yelling before the blonde witch stood up as well.

"And what could the Queen need from you, huh!? You're nothing but a Zero!" She glared down at the girl.

The expression on the matron's face was stern, unchanging even as his master and the witch argued about her decision to go to the war. With deliberate slowness she placed her utensils down and spoke over the arguing siblings, "Eleanor, Louise, now is not the time," Her voice was stern, leaving no room for either to argue. The eldest and the youngest took sat down once more and continued to eat their meal in peace.

...She was amazing.

Damn, his face was turning red. He looked away and wiped at his face as the warmth spread through his skin; first the former queen and now this. He needed to keep his nonexistent libido in check before he got in trouble.

"Your father will be here tomorrow, so we can discuss you possible participation then," She continued, "For now let us eat together as a family."

The rest of the meal was spent in silence save for the occasional comment by Cattleya. Raziel idly wondered if this was the highly vaunted 'family bonding time' that he'd heard others brag about. It certainly felt rather stiff, especially compared to the interactions Siesta had with her family: There was no teasing, no laughing and no exchange of words barring the odd word or two.

He understood why his master was hesitant to go back.

Once dinner had ended the siblings and their parent were finally allowed to separate. Louise let out a sigh of relief as she was finally allowed to escape the clutches of her firstborn-like 'honored sister'. The past few hours had her desperately wishing she was back in the Charming Fairies inn: At least she could fight back against the intoxicated perverts that grabbed at her backside. Raising a hand against an older sibling was taboo for any self-respecting noble.

"No wonder the Count de Burgundy called off the engagement..." She rubbed her previously marred cheeks. She'd only asked an innocent question earlier in the carriage but her sister seemed to consider it a personal attack when she'd brought up her former fiancé and almost ripped her face off with those talons of hers. It was improper, especially considering how badly her own arranged marriage 'ended', but she couldn't help but laugh. If anyone deserved it was definitely her.

She quickly joined her Familiar, who was standing off to the side of the dining room. The maid had been taken by the other servants, leaving just the two of them once more. He looked up and nodded to acknowledge her existence but did nothing else as she dragged him out of the room and into another hall. He didn't protest; it wasn't as if he knew the layout of this place.

"Thank Brimir that's over," She finally spoke, opening the door to a terrace. Collapsing onto one of the chairs, she muttered unintelligibly to herself as her Familiar watched blankly, "Honored sister Eleanor is as much of a nightmare as I remember. No, she's actually worse than I remember. Lord above I can't believe she lectured me the entire way here. It's not my fault that she lost her engagement!"

"Hmm..." He sat down at the terrace's edge. There was a rather large apple tree growing nearby and he picked out one of its fruits; how a tree had grown so large was beyond him but if he had to guess it was by the same craftsman that made this house large enough to fit all of Tarbes and still have room left over.

"I'm glad big sis Catt is okay, but she was lying about her illness. She's still in bad shape..." She continued.

"Hmm..." He bit into the fruit. Juicy and well-ripened. He made sure to chew as silently as he could: It would be poor manners otherwise, or so Louise stated.

"...Don't you have anything to say?" She looked up at him, half-irritated.

"What do you want me to say?" He tossed the apple core away, ignoring her disapproval at his littering, "You told me about your family beforehand. They are somewhat different from what I expected but it is not my place to say. It falls to you to convince them of your plan to die for that tyrant. I simply follow your will."

"You're still not letting that go, are you?" She received another flat look, "Fine, let me ask you a question then: What were you talking about with big sis Catt earlier? I saw her hanging back to observe you."

"Nothing," He scoffed, "She told me that I was mentioned in these letters of yours but beyond that there was nothing," His eyes narrowed, "What did you tell her about me?"

"Nothing," She imitated his scoff. A mocking gesture, "I exchange letters with big sis Catt every week or two and I tell her things that happened recently," She pursed her lips, "And before you say anything: No, I didn't mention anything about our recent 'activities'. Newcastle, Tarbes, the Charming Fairies inn and those assassins..." She shook her head, "As far as she knows I've been at school this whole time."

"I had wondered why they were so reluctant to give you permission," He muttered, "If you told them about your activities they might actually allow you this request. Surely surviving these dangers would tip the scales in your favor."

"I might tell big sis Catt, but not honored sister Eleanor or mother," She said, "Big sis Catt will keep it a secret but those two would just use it as an example of why I shouldn't involve myself in this war. In all honesty we barely survived all of those, and that's saying something considering you're already halfway gone," She forced a smile. He didn't, "Wow, not even a smile, huh?"

"I fail to find anything about this amusing," He answered back flatly, "Master, do you even want to go to war?"

"Of course I don't..." She looked down at the table, "I'm scared. Why shouldn't I be? I mean, I saw a glimpse of it during our time in Newcastle: Dragging Prince Wales, avoiding the sentries while everyone around me was screaming...it's something I hoped to never repeat," She gulped audibly, "Or the fleet in Tarbes. All those explosions and then the burning. I could feel the soldiers' panic as their fleet fell into the earth."

"And yet you still go," He frowned.

"You know my reasons why," She sighed, "You might disagree with me but I genuinely care about the princess, mistakes or not."

"Yes, I know," He clenched his hand on his knee. The love the two had for one another - or at least the love his master had for the tyrant - was unmistakable. The kind of love that would lead her sacrificing her life if it came down to it.

"So...can we put it all behind us?" She broached again, "I mean if we're going to do this together we need to-"

"I hate you."

"Wh-What?" She felt as if she'd been hit. Surely she'd misheard, "I'm sorry, I thought I heard-"

"I hate you," He repeated, his voice turning more venomous, "I despise being your slave. There are days I wish that I was back in the kiln if only so I will never have to see you again," He stood up and walked towards her, "I deluded myself to thinking that I was your friend but in the end I'm nothing than a pet to you," He gave a sardonic smile, "It must have been amusing to you, was it not?"

"Wh-What!?" She stood up, knocking over her chair in the progress, "What-What in the hel are you talking about!?"

"Oh, it makes so much sense now," He continued bitterly, "Commanding me to die for you would have made me hesitate, but what if you pretended to befriend me? I would give my life for yours out of my own free will. You must be disappointed that I have seen through your lies-"

He could see the slap coming, but he made no move to block it. Looking at Louise's tear-stained face he found it difficult to speak.

"That's what you think, huh?" Her voice was hollow. Forced, "You think that I don't care about you? That if it ever came down to it I'd leave you behind without a second glance?" She pressed her face to his shoulder and tried to hold back her tears, "You're wrong. There are times where I wish I really didn't care about you...it would make things much simpler if I thought of you as nothing more than a Familiar..."

"...Not the reaction I expected," He pushed her away and sighed, "Louise, I am...not good at talking about emotions. Adapt and survive, that was how one 'lived' in Lordran. When you told me that I was nothing more than a Familiar to you it...it hurt," He coughed and looked away, "I wanted to hurt you...to make you hate me as I hated you in that moment. I thought it would make me happy."

"So you mean all that was-"

"A lie; as if I would ever wish to be back in the kiln" He clicked his tongue, "I thought you would say you hated me as well. I wanted you to hate me, to act as if you did not care about what I felt for you. Then I would know that my conflict with you was the right choice."

"A lie? It was all a lie?" Her mouth quirked up in a crooked smile and she...laughed, "Hahahahahahahahaha," She continued to laugh maniacally, completely ignoring how insane she appeared. He raised a hand up to grab her shoulder before she punched him right in the face, "You fucking asshole!" She punched him in the gut, "Do you have any idea how I felt when you said that!?" She stamped his foot, "Honestly, leave me out of your games!"

"It was no game," He grabbed her wrists, "You kept insisting that I put what said behind me despite how much it hurt. I wanted to you to feel how I felt at that moment and then tell me if you could still forgive so easily-"

"This and that are two different things!" He couldn't help but wince as she kicked him right between his legs. Attacks at that area always hurt more than everywhere else, "Do you have any idea how worried I was!? I mean-"

"Louise, enough!" He forced her hands down and panted. It wasn't that tiring but his master was always a handful, "Fine, I understand that I might have done something better, but-"

"You're telling me!" She hissed, "That's like shooting someone just because you feel bad for yourself!"

"Feeling bad for myself?" He scowled, "Louise, if you believe that what I felt was nothing more than pathetic self-pity then-"

"I'm sorry!"

She was crying again. Reluctantly he let go of her hands and stood away from her as she cried and hiccuped. Despite his previous intent he couldn't help but feel a pain on his chest as he saw her cry.

"I'm sorry..." She repeated, "I really don't know what else I can say...I'm sorry I said that. I'd change it if I could, but all I can do now is apologize. I...I shouldn't have said that," She bit her lip, "You're...You're more than a Familiar to me, Raziel," She forced a smile, "We haven't known each other for too long but I know that you're not just a pet that I can replace. I...I care about you."

"Louise, I..." He looked away and clenched his fists. He didn't know what to say. He was still hurt by her words, but her apology was sincere and her desire to make-up for what she'd said was legitimate and not just out of a desire to have an obedient Familiar, "I do not know how to deal with situations like this. You and Siesta both, it is...I am not used to matters of this nature."

"...You're an idiot," Despite her words she finally found it in her to give a genuine smile, "Fine, I'll let you think about it for a bit. I mean, I understand that things like this aren't easy so just tell me your answer when you're ready."

"R-Right..." He looked away and scratched his head.

"Okay, that's enough drama I suppose," She yawned, "I should-"

Louise stopped, her mouth gasping openly like a fish out of water. Following her master's gaze he froze up as well he saw Miss. Cattleya sitting at one of the tables, a cat perched on her lap. When had she...

"B-B-Big sis Catt? Since when were you here!?" Her voice was panicked. How much had she seen!? "I-I mean, if you were here then you should have told us!"

"I did. Twice, in fact," She giggled, "I tried to get your attention but I daresay you were both preoccupied," They both blushed and looked away, "Oh, don't worry, I know how to keep a secret," She smiled pleasantly, though it didn't give the Undead any relief, "I was looking for where little Louise had gone and I was rather surprised about walking into an argument."

"It-It was nothing," Louise shook her hands quickly, steam practically coming out of her ears, "We just had a talk about some things that happened the past few days; nothing too severe," Raziel looked between the two sisters. It was clear from the older pinkette's knowing smile that she didn't believe her sister's fib, "A-Anyway, it's all in the past! S-So I have to go!"

The two watched the teenager nearly bump into the door before practically running away from the terrace. Raziel couldn't help but smile; no matter how Louise played at being a noble who was always in control there were times where she could still act rather childish.

"I'm glad she hasn't changed too much," Cattleya spoke up, "Given what she's told me in her letters I was afraid that she had changed from the little sister I love," She looked unsure, "I'm glad this isn't the case."

"Mas...Louise can be a handful, yes," He replied.

"Still, when I saw her today I could tell she was happier than she was when I last saw her months ago," Her smile returned, "Thank you. I don't know how you did it but it seems that you make little Louise happy. Please keep watching over her."

"I am her Familiar. It is only proper that I should."

"No, not as her Familiar," She shook her head, "Please don't treat being with Louise as a duty. That girl...barring the Queen I could never recall a time where she would smile because of her friends," She smiled sadly at the cat in her lap, "Louise sees you as more than a bound animal, so please reciprocate in kind. With all this war business the one thing she needs is someone to stand beside her."

"Hmm..." She gave him another pleasant smile before leaving to follow her sister.

He had to wonder...if he wasn't bound to Louise as her Familiar, would he still stay with her? If he was...free would he abandon her?

Bah, that was too complicated to think about right now. He left the terrace and closed the door behind him. Some things were best put off till later.

---

The room he had been given was small, as befitting a servant. Rather it was a closet and they had dumped a mattress into it to serve as a bed. It was to be expected given that he was by all accounts a pet; even the idea of giving him a bed was rather generous all things considered. Still, after dealing with the fluffy monstrosity that was Louise's bed he was glad to have a bed that didn't swallow him every time he sat on it.

He spent hours just staring at the ceiling. How did he feel about Louise? Should he forgive her? Had she even said anything 'wrong'? Objectively speaking she had spoken only the truth - She had saved him from the kiln and the runes branded him as her Familiar. He traced a hand through the runic letters; Derflinger had been left behind due to how quickly they were forced to leave but even if he were here he doubted the sword could explain: His memory loss was even worse than his own, which was a miracle in and of itself considering how damaged his mind was from the kiln.

"Gods damn it," He sat up and let out a mimicked breath. He wasn't supposed to think about matters like this too much. Send him to kill someone and he would do it, but talking about his own feelings was even more difficult than trying to fight the Bed of Chaos in Havel's armor set.

He needed to take walk, clear his head.

The mansion without the hustle and bustle of the servants felt eerie, almost haunted in a way. Thankfully the light of the moon shining from the windows was enough to guide his path; Louise had forbidden him from using his pyromancy for fear of causing a commotion. Having a human (despite his own insistence to the contrary) Familiar was odd enough, she didn't want to explain how he could use magic as well.

"Where am I...?" He wondered aloud. He didn't like entering unfamiliar places; it reminded him far too much of the winding pathways of Blighttown. Given enough time he could memorize the pathways around the estate but they only had a couple of days to stay here before leaving once more - Assuming Louise was successful at convincing her parents to go along with her suicidal request.

It was only after seeing the painting of the old man wearing a monocle for the third time that he had to admit to himself that he was lost.

"Not again..." He clicked his tongue. He didn't even know where his temporary room was anymore. Turning right on the split hallway he blindly opened the closest door and stumbled inside.

Looking around briefly he let out a sigh as he caught sight of the large table. He was back in the dining room, though whether that was a stroke of fortune or not was debatable. He stepped closer to the stacked chairs and felt himself tense up as he saw the silhouette sitting at the head of the table.

Someone else was here.

"A strange place to be at this time of night," That voice...he'd heard it before, "I saw you with my daughter earlier. What are you doing here?"

The figure pulled out a wand and waved it with a quick incantation, causing the end of it to light up with a small flame. His cheeks burned slightly as the fire illuminated the face of the Valliere matriarch.

"I asked you a question," She tapped the end of the wand against a candle before dispelling the fire. The light of the fire complimented her features nicely.

"I...was taking a walk," He coughed and looked away, trying to hide his burning skin, "I apologize, I did not mean to cause offense."

"If you wanted to offend me you would have to do much more than stretch your legs," She let out a breath and picked up the chalice next to the candle. Looking closer he could make out the shape of a wine bottle not too far from where the candle stood, "Regardless, you're not the only one who couldn't sleep, as you can see," She gave him a small, wry smile.

"I...I see..." He swallowed nervously. ...The love potion had been completely erased, right? There was none left?

"...Are you just going to stand there?" She raised an eyebrow, "Take a seat. Since we're the only two here it would be rude if I let you keep standing."

"Oh...alright," Reluctantly he grabbed one of the chairs and sat down on it; the sound of the wood scraping against the floor seemed amplified given the solitary atmosphere.

The next few minutes were spent in silence: Karin continued to drink from the wine while he did nothing more than steal glances at her. He wanted nothing more than to leave right at this moment but something forced him to stay.

For a brief moment he remembered Chester's ramblings before he forced it down. He shouldn't believe that bastard's lies. And even if he did meet Louise's mother before, so what? He had been around for a long time - long enough to be Siesta's great grandfather - so he must have met a lot of people in his travels. On the unlikely chance that he wasn't lying then it didn't matter; it was only natural that he would meet a lot of people in that time.

"...Is something the matter? You're muttering to yourself?" Her voice cut through his thoughts. Reigning in surprise he tried to ignore the questioning look she was giving him, "...Actually, I had wanted to ask this beforehand: Are you truly my daughter's Familiar?"

"Huh?" He blinked in confusion before nodding, "Oh, um...yes. Er...here," He raised his left hand and showed her the runes, "The 'Familiar brand' should be proof enough of our binding, yes?"

"Hmm?" Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the runic lettering. She wasn't as much of a scholar as her daughter so the words were unintelligible to her, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia at seeing them, "I see...well, you'll forgive my momentary doubt I hope. My daughter's magic has been rather erratic since she was a child and when we heard that she had summoned a human Familiar we of course doubted its legitimacy."

"I am not..." He bit his tongue. It wouldn't do to tell her exactly what he was, "There were...circumstances, I suppose, but I am your daughter's Familiar without a doubt."

"I see..." She took another sip of her wine, "Another question then, if you'll indulge me," He nodded. It wasn't as if he could say no anyway, "Do you know why my daughter is so adamant about involving herself in this war? Louise despises conflict of any nature."

Really? Could have fooled him considering her propensity for violence after losing her temper, "Master's reasons are her own. I...as a Familiar, all I do is follow her will. I do not ask questions."

He couldn't tell whether she believed his lie but the wry smile she gave him wasn't giving him a good impression, "Haha...somehow I doubt that," She shook her head, the smile leaving her face as quickly as it came, "I suppose my daughter will eventually have to make her own choices independent of her parent's desires. Still...it brings me no comfort knowing what she plans to do."

At that time, just for a brief moment, the icy woman from earlier had disappeared, replaced with a worried mother. The change his mouth to open slightly in shock; he'd seen liars before - Petrus and Patches immediately came to mind - but even through their faked identities he could always see a hint of their true natures. This woman, however...it was as if she'd been completely replaced.

"...My apologies, I shouldn't indulge myself so shamelessly," She lowered the chalice and sat up straight in her seat, "Although I suppose we all need our respite every now and then. It would be shameful if I acted this way in any other occasion."

"Why?"

"Your every action is judged, simple as that," She replied tartly, "I can indulge myself only when I'm sure I am alone. When in the presence of others one has to be mindful of every word, every single movement that one does. I suppose at this moment that I feel...indulgent."

"Then why are you..." His question was quickly cut off. Why would she be so 'indulgent' in front of someone else if she was afraid of being judged? At first glance it made no sense but thinking on it clearly the answer became obvious.

One didn't care if someone's pet saw them at their worst.

He laughed to himself. He'd long since gotten past the point that he would be offended at his existence being trivialized; now he just found it somewhat humorous. Karin looked at him in confusion before deciding to keep quiet; it didn't surprise her that her daughter's Familiar had his own quirks. Despite her best attempts at consistently proper behavior Louise herself had her slips.

"...Forgive me for causing offense, but I have my own question," He spoke up. She said nothing, though she nodded regardless, "...What are the chances of Louise being allowed to enter this war?"

"I suppose that would depend on how well she can convince us," She answered noncommittally.

He scoffed and looked away; that of course meant that there was practically no chance in the flames that they would actually let her go, "I see...thank you for answering my query," He stood up and bowed briefly before leaving to (hopefully) go back to his room once more.

He had a feeling things wouldn't go well come tomorrow morning.

---

Sometimes he hated being right.

Louise's father arrived not long after early morning and the family quickly gathered in one of the terraces to discuss Louise's 'request'. As a Familiar he wasn't allowed to attend so he was forced to stand outside while they discussed whether or not they should send their daughter/little sister to almost certain death. In all honesty he preferred it this: It wasn't as if he could add anything to the discussion.

So here he stood, standing beside the door where the fate of his summoner - and himself by extension - were discussed, "What is taking them so long," He crossed his arms and sighed. They'd been in there for two hours now and barring a few garbled words he couldn't make out anything else; whatever argument Louise was giving it was certainly taking her a long time to get it across.

Just as he was considering leaving to come back later the double doors opened with a slam and Louise ran out, her expression furious despite the tears leaking from her eyes. She didn't so much as spare him a second glance before she ran down the hall and out of sight.

"Louise, wait!" A towering figure followed after her briefly before stopping, "Damn...that child still hasn't changed," He let out a frustrated breath and turned back, allowing the Undead to get a closer look at his appearance: Blonde hair - similar to the witch - that had been combed back with a monocle adorning his left eye. His features were definitely aged, at least in comparison to his wife, and he was sporting a rather magnificent pair of a mustache and long beard.

The illustrious Duke la Valliere in all his glory.

The older (at least in physical appearance) male looked at him for but a moment before going back to the terrace without a word. Raziel's eyes followed him as he sat back in his chair; wasn't he going to chase after her?

"I would have to guess she was not given permission," He shook his head and made his way back to his temporary room. Much as he might have wanted to chase after her he'd only end up getting lost himself.

He was about halfway to his room before he heard panting behind him. Looking back he raised an eyebrow slightly as he caught sight of Cattleya running after him, her breath ragged.

"...What is it?" That uncomfortable feeling returned. He knew he wasn't imagining; something was moving underneath her clothes.

"Louise is...she's...sorry, please give me a moment," She put her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath, "My apologies; I'm not used to physical exertion."

Physical exertion? It was only a five minute walk from where he was standing previously, "You do not need to apologize," He looked away, "Ah...what was it you were saying about Louise?"

"Oh, yes," She wiped the sweat off her forehead, "If you're looking for Louise then she's not going to be inside the house. There's a secret hiding place she has," Her pleasant smile returned, "Check at the lake in the back of the house. At the edge you should be able to find a small boat. If she's still the same Louise then she'll be hiding there again; she always hides there whenever she has an argument with mother and father."

"Huh..." He still refused to look at her, "...Why are you telling me this? If you know where she is why not tell your parents or go after her yourself? I would assume she would prefer her older sister comforted her."

"I'm not sure about that," She looked down sadly, "As much as I hate making Louise sad I didn't support her during the discussion earlier. It's sweet of her to fight for the sake of Queen Henrietta, but I worry for the danger this places her in. If I go there now she'll just get mad at me. I can see Louise cares about you, so if you could..."

"...Alright."

Finding the boat wasn't too difficult; it was the only ship rutted at the edge of the lake. He took a moment to take in the sights: The luxury of this place wasn't limited to only the house, it seemed. Across the lake he could make out a marble white building - A mausoleum if he was correct. From what Louise told him nobles honored their dead by burying them close to the family estate. It was remarkably similar to the practice in Tarbes.

It didn't take him long to find Louise. There was only a single thing on the boat - A large piece of cloth that, despite supposedly being inanimate, was crying and moving around uncomfortably.

"Go away, big sis..." Her voice was hard to make out through the fabric. He clicked his tongue; how many times had the sisters done this that Louise could assume she would always be the one to come for her?

"You have me mistaken for someone else," He heard her gasp just before he pried the blankets off her, "...You look terrible," He sat across from her and tossed the blanket away.

Sitting up, Louise rubbed her reddened eyes and tried to calm herself. It wouldn't do to look like this in front of him; last night was bad enough, "W-What are you doing here? How did you know where I would be?

"Your 'big sis' told me," He let out a slight smile, "She assumed I would have better luck in comforting you than she would have," He leaned back and propped his shoulders on the boat's edge, "Given your reaction I can only assume that they did not give you permission?"

"It's worse than that..." She muttered bitterly, "Eleanor was even worse than she was yesterday, shutting out all my arguments and calling me a 'worthless Zero'. And father, he..." She grit her teeth, "He wanted me to get married again, just so he can keep me here. Doesn't he know about what happened with Wardes? Why on earth would he think that I want to get married again so soon after what happened?"

He gave her a questioning look as she pushed the boat off the edge and let it float to the center, "So we won't get interrupted," She explained, "I don't want to see any of them right now."

"You sound frustrated."

"Gee, and I thought I was hiding it so well," She muttered sarcastically. She leaned over the boat's edge and dipped her hands in the water, "Are they even taking me seriously? I'm not a child anymore! I've been blessed with the power of Father Brimir, it's my duty to fight for my country. How could I live with myself if I turned tail and ran from my duties? Hel, isn't loyalty to the crown what they taught us growing up? Why are they so resistant now?"

"You know them better than I do," He shrugged, "If would have to guess I would assume they are simply worried about losing you," He didn't know exactly; it wasn't as if he had parents to base his example on.

"Maybe..." She splashed the water in frustration, "It doesn't make it any better, though. I mean...how am I supposed to convince them? If I tell them about my Void magic they might be even more protective than they are now. I can see them locking me in my room because the princess is 'using' me."

He didn't say anything; she would just get angry if he gave his opinion.

"Argh, damn it!" She yelled, "That's it! I don't care what I have to do, I'm going to convince them to let me go even if it kills me! Come on, Raziel! Let's-" She stood up abruptly and let out a squeak as she nearly fell over the side. On instinct Raziel stood up to catch her but this only made the imbalance worse.

Time seemed to slow as the boat tipped over. Vaguely he could hear Louise scream before the icy feeling of the water engulfed them both. His eyes widened and he flailed in a panic towards where the earth and water met.

Gods damn it, why did he never learn to swim? He felt himself sinking lower. Running out breath wasn't a problem for him but depending on how deep the lake was he would be in no small amount of discomfort.

Just as he was giving up hope of reaching land he felt a pair of arms circle loop under his shoulders and drag him up. Looking back he nearly opened his mouth in surprise as he saw Louise dragging him up, her expression pained.

"Puah!" Louise gasped as they broke the the water's surface. Taking deep, gulping breaths of air she held onto her Familiar tightly despite her fatigue, "Haa...haa...I'm never doing that again!" She grimaced at the feeling of her dress clinging to her skin, "Raziel, are you alright-"

She let out a squeak of surprise as her Familiar circled his arms around her in a tight embrace, "H-Hey, what are you doing!?"

"I cannot swim!" He bit out, his face flushed, "If I let go right now I am going to drown!"

"What the- No way, I thought you were just panicking! I didn't know you couldn't swim!"

"Now you know then," This was embarrassing; he hated being reliant on someone else, "Let us just make our way to shore before we both sink."

Swimming back to the edge was even more awkward than the initial rescue. Louise wasn't strong and even with the water reducing his weight it was still an extremely uncomfortable endeavor dragging both of them back to shore. When they had finally made back to the earth the pair all but collapsed, ignoring the dirt clinging to their clothes.

"Seriously...you can't...swim?" Louise asked in between pants.

"I never needed to know," He countered, "As you know Undead do not have proper body weight. The second I step into deep water I sink like a stone," He coughed out a mouthful of water and grimaced, "This is your fault. You were the one who pushed the boat off its place."

"Well if you couldn't swim then why the hel didn't you say anything when I pushed the boat!?" She sat up and glared at him, "I wouldn't have pushed it if you just spoke up!"

"I did not think you would tip the boat over!" He argued back, his voice rising, "Ah, damn it. Now I have to change clothes..."

"Oh, you think you have it bad? Honored sister Eleanor's going to kill me once she sees what happened to my dress!" She looked down distastefully at the patches of dirt dotting the green fabric, "Oh Brimir...you owe me for this!"

"Yes, of course," He rolled his eyes, "I will do so as soon as you pay me back for the many times I risked my life to save yours."

"What? Why do I have to pay you back? You're my Fami..." She sighed, "Fine, consider this a free favor! But if I have to rescue save your butt from drowning again you're going to bow and thank me like you should!"

"Do not count on this happening again, master," He pulled his hair back.

"Don't call me that," She clicked her tongue, "Anyway, let's get out of here and change before my parents catch sight of us. I don't want to explain exactly why we both look like we went for a swim fully clothed."

"Fine. Lead the way."

---

Changing clothes was done quickly and then they had spent the rest of the day apart. Louise sighed as she looked at the ceiling of her sister's bedroom: She'd spent the entire day just planning out what to do to try and convince her parents tomorrow and it all came up as a blank. She could run away, Cattleya was still holding onto her saved money, after all; but it wouldn't take them long to send honored sister or someone else would drag her back.

"This is frustrating..." She mumbled.

"Mmm, Louise? Is something wrong?" Cattleya rubbed her eyes and sat up, "Can't sleep?"

"No, it's nothing," She sighed. Her sister invited her to sleep together, likely in an attempt to make up for not supporting her earlier. She was still reluctant all things considered but it wasn't as if she gained anything by refusing, "I mean, you know what I'm thinking about, big sis," She bunched her knees together and held them close to her chest, "I don't know what to do to convince them."

"No, it's not just that," The woman enveloped the girl in a gentle embrace, "I know you, Louise. It's not just that you're worried."

"Haha...I suppose you always knew when I was hiding something," She gave her sister a half-smile, "I...haven't been fully truthful to you," She chewed on her lower lip, "All those times I told you that I was just in school...well, that wasn't exactly true."

"Louise? If...If you don't want to tell me then-"

"No, it's alright," She interrupted, "I mean, I need to get it off my chest and I'd preferred telling you over honored sister Eleanor," She took a deep breath, "Well...the first thing I should tell you about is Albion, I guess."

"Albion?"

"Yes. The fall of Newcastle," She shook away the nightmarish memories, "Princess Henrietta sent us there to get a letter for Prince Wales. If the rebels found it then they could have used it to annul the marriage between her and Emperor Albrecht..." Not that it was needed in the end considering how she managed to cancel the marriage later on, "I was there when Prince Wales died and when that craven Wardes..."

"Oh, Louise...I'm so sorry..." She turned the girl around and pressed her head against her chest, "It's alright...I heard that Wardes was a traitor so that means you saw his betrayal?" Louise mumbled an affirmative, "So that you're here means that you had to defend yourself," Cattleya held her tighter, "You don't have to feel guilty about killing him, Louise. I'm sure that-"

"What? No, I-I didn't kill him," Louise pushed her away slightly, "Raziel did it. I mean, I guess that means it's my responsibility as well because he's my Familiar, but he definitely did all the killing- Oh, what am I saying?" She sighed, "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Your Familiar did?" She sounded doubtful. No offense to her little sister but her Familiar appeared to be rather frail; so how was it that she claimed that he had defeated a Mage all on his own.

"Yeah, I told you about him before, right? I sent you a letter after he beat Guiche," The older woman's mouth opened slightly; she remembered now. it felt like such a long time ago, "Anyway, yes, he killed him so there's no need to comfort me. Besides, it's not like I have anything to feel guilty about considering how much of a craven he was. Besides, that's not the last of it."

"You mean there's more?"

Cattleya sat with rapt attention as Louise narrated recent events. Not only Newcastle, but also her knowledge of Daphne and Amethyst's natures or the events at Tarbes. By the time she had started telling her about the revived Prince Wales she was tempted to stop believing her but she knew that her sister wasn't the sort to make up these kinds of lies. White lies maybe, but not something as outlandish as this.

Louise made sure to leave any details of her Void magic out, however, along with most of the gruesome details. She didn't want her sister's condition to get even worse.

"That all sounds...amazing," Were Cattleya's first words.

"Amazing? I suppose they do sound fantastical in story form, but it's not something I'd repeat ever again if given the chance," Louise felt relieved, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders, "Anyway, you know now why I'm so adamant about entering this war. I've proven myself time and again and the Princess needs me. My vo- Fire magic is also strong enough to protect me."

"Still, a lot of the events sound impossible. A fleet suddenly burning down even through mysterious means; I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't heard it from the others."

"Uh...yeah, we were definitely lucky there," She coughed, "Alright, but you get what I mean. I need to enter this for the princess' sake. I can't let her face this alone."

"I suppose," Cattleya looked down, "I can't really help you, Louise. But, I suppose you already know who could."

"You mean Raziel?" She didn't even have to see Cattleya nod, "I dunno, I mean he's a close friend but I'm not sure how he's going to help me convince the mother and father to let me go to this war. He can't even convince that maid friend of his on a good day."

"Just try talking to him," She gently pushed her off the bed, "I could tell by your stories that he was there with you. Even if he can't help you then maybe just talking to him will allow you to get an idea."

"...Fine."

Finding his room didn't prove too difficult, though it was finding out what was inside that nearly caused her to give up.

Raziel was lying on the bed while Siesta was on top of him, her face red. A quick glance around the room confirmed her suspicions: There was a half-finished bottle of wine sitting at the table. They must have given it to the maid; it was one of the more common vintages, nothing her family would ever even consider drinking unless they were in dire straits.

Right now, though, it was looking rather tempting.

"...Do I even want to know?" She palmed her face. She didn't need this right now.

"Siesta is intoxicated," He grabbed the babbling girl's shoulders and pushed her off before sitting up, "She stumbled in here like this," He scratched the back of his head, "To be honest, I have no clue what she is trying to say. I doubt she will even remember this come morning."

"Hey, I'm not that drunk!" The maid slurred.

"Whatever, I don't even care anymore," Louise grabbed the wine and poured herself a generous helping. She needed to drink, "I came here because I thought you could help me think up a plan to convince my parents, but I see I interrupted your romantic moment."

"We are not in a relationship," He scoffed.

"...Are you really that stupid?" The alcohol was already getting to her.

"Huh?" He looked confused.

"You know what, nevermind. You deal with your romance problems on your own," She grabbed the bottle before unceremoniously plopping down on the bed, "Back on topic: You have any idea how I can convince that my parents to let us go?"

"You are asking me? If you do not know then what makes you think I will- Would you please stop?" Siesta was pawing at his face with her free hand, "Calm yourself, Siesta. You are acting foolish."

"Make me," She stuck her tongue out.

"Ah, screw it. I knew this was going to be pointless," Louise poured herself another helping, "Well, if I can't deal with the problem now then I'm sure as helheim going to forget about it for at least one night," She raised the glass, "Cheers."

"Cheers," Raziel muttered. Now Siesta was sucking on his neck.

---

Well it had taken the better part of four hours but finally the pair were asleep. Raziel rubbed his neck, wincing at the spots Siesta had sucked. Hopefully she didn't remember this come morning; their friendship was strained enough as it is.

Still, he did wish he had a way to keep the image he was currently seeing. Louise and Siesta were sleeping together, their arms and legs knotted together in a weird tangle as they hugged one another. He had to wonder how they would react upon waking up. If he was right then they wouldn't even remember going to his room; he predicted a lot of screaming come tomorrow morning.

"So why did they even come here?" He wondered aloud. If they just wanted to get drunk then they could have done it in their own rooms, not his. Considering how quickly Louise was quick to drop asking him for advice he doubted she honestly came here for that.

Well, he supposed another walk was in order. It wasn't as if he could sleep now.

His second attempt at exploration fared no better than the first. Making it even worse the clouds were covering the moon and he could barely see two feet in front of him. Despite being in a safe location he couldn't help but feel naked without a weapon on him. Beating someone with his bare fists simply wasn't practical.

On the bright side he might run into Louise's mother again.

His optimistic thoughts were cut off as he felt something tap his shoulder. Turning around abruptly he raised his fist in surprise before he recognized the shadowed figure, "Ah, Miss. Cattleya..." He lowered his hand and stepped back, "My apologies, I did not notice you were there. I did not expect anyone to be out this late, really."

"Oh, no problem," She waved hand lightly, "I actually hoped to catch you. I was waiting for Louise to come back but she still hasn't. She went to your room last, so do you happen to know where she is?"

"She's sleeping. She had a little to drink and..." He pinched the bridge of his nose and she giggled. Being close to her was causing that unfamiliar feeling again, "I decided to take a walk, clear my head."

"Oh, well if you don't mind then why don't you come with me?" She clapped her hands together, "I was hoping to have a chat with you about some things."

"No, that is-"

"Great, let's go!" Completely ignoring his response she grabbed his hand and all but dragged him through the winding halls back to her bedchambers. He didn't bother resisting; while he wasn't thrilled to be doing this he didn't actually have anything to lose with talking to her. Whatever weird feelings he had was surely nothing more than his own imagination. After all he'd never met her before so he had no reason to be wary of her just yet.

"I'm back everyone!" She announced. Raziel wondered briefly on who she was talking to before he saw a wide array of animals surround them, "Don't worry, they don't bite," She looked back and smiled to calm him down, "They're all very well-behaved. Energetic and naughty at times, but they won't hurt you."

"I would find that easier to believe if you did not have a bear in here..." He stared pointedly at the large animal. It's only response was only to tilt its head at him, "Why do you have so many animals?"

"They're my friends," She let go of his hand and sat down on the bed. Looking closer at her attire he immediately noticed the marked difference; her sleepwear covered her entire body save for her head and neck. It appeared as if she was wearing a sack, "What's wrong? You're staring."

"Oh, it's nothing..." He looked away, "Um...what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

"I wanted to give this to you," She rummaged under the bed for a moment before giving him a pouch. Opening it he found no small amount of coins, "Louise gave that to me for safekeeping a few weeks ago. She...told me what she's been through these past few weeks," Her brows knitted worriedly, "I understand now why she wanted to go. Much as it pains me I believe it best if she makes her own choices."

"Why are you giving this to me? Why not give it directly to Louise?"

"If I tried to give it to her I might hesitate," She smiled sadly, "I don't want her to go and put herself at risk like this, but she should be allowed to make her choices. I don't want her to stay simply because someone else - myself included - didn't want her to go. I know better than anyone what it's like to live according to how others want you to."

He looked down at the pouch before speaking up, "You are...talking about your illness?"

"Yes..." Her voice grew softer, "I love mother and father and I could never pay them back for all they've done to ensure I could live as happily as I could, but..." She let out a quiet breath, "Every day my life is dictated. The treatments, the doctors prodding at me...I can't refuse no matter what," She forced a laugh, "I suppose I sound ungrateful. I know it's selfish but I can't help but feel this way."

"What illness is this?"

"We don't know," She shrugged, "I was born with it, or so the doctors tell me. No amount of magic or potions can dispel symptoms and I know I'm living on borrowed time," She clapped her hands again, "Oh, my apologies, I shouldn't trouble you with this. It's not a pleasant topic to discuss."

"W-Wait," He mimicked a breath and rummaged through his belt pouch before pulling out a glowing dark clump, "Do you know what this is?"

"It seems...familiar, in a way," She raised her hand and drew it close to the dark ember. It was surprisingly warm despite its appearance, "What is this?"

"Humanity." She appeared confused by the name, "No time to explain. Crush it in your hands. Perhaps this might heal you, even temporarily. Louise would be delighted if you were healthy once more, so..."

Without saying another word he pressed the substance into her palm. If it was like any other illness then it should be healed. He watched with trepidation as the pink haired woman cupped it with both hands before slowly crushing it.

"Ngh!" Rather than relief, Cattleya felt an agonizing pain cover her entire body, "Ahh!" She screamed softly and hugged herself as she could feel her skin moving and lurching. It was as if she'd been set on fire from the inside. She collapsed onto the bed, tears leaking from her eyes. Just barely she could see Raziel grabbing her shoulders and trying to keep her conscious.

"Wh-What?" Raziel nearly let go of her as he felt the movement underneath her robes. Why was...Humanity wasn't supposed to do this, "Is this some kind of parasite? Why would it-"

Seeming to sense their master's pain the animals around the room began to roar and growl in and ungodly cacophony of sound. Raziel covered his ears and grit his teeth; the loud screeching was causing no small amount of discomfort, "Please...everyone..." Cattleya forced herself to speak words of comfort, to try and calm her companions, but it was drowned out by their screams.

"Keep quiet!" He yelled. He needed to focus. Turning back to Cattleya he raised a hand to try and grab hold of her before the animals began to rampage around the room, bumping into each other and the various furniture. Raziel let out a growl of his own as he felt his irritation grow. Their roars weren't doing him any favors. He needed them silent.

"I said QUIET!"

The cacophony stopped. The animals shrunk back, though a few now whimpered in fear. Raziel clenched his left hand and tried to calm himself. He needed to find out what was wrong with her. Perhaps if he-

He was rendered speechless once he ripped the robe off. The skin beneath was veiny and grotesque, colored with a mismatched combination of red, purple and green. Ripping out more of the clothing he could make out various unknown objects moving under her skin in waves. It looked as if her body was tearing itself apart. How could Humanity do this? It should have healed her!

"It...It hurts...!" Cattleya's voice grew weaker. Desperately she grabbed onto his shoulder as he breathing grew more ragged. The pain was unbearable and she could feel her consciousness fading.

No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen! He held onto her arms tightly as her skin began to darken. He had seen this before, he knew it, he just needed to remember...

All at once the memory came flooding back. He understood now; that was why he was so reluctant to be near her.

...He knew what he had to do.

"Do you trust me?" He forced her to face him, "Please listen to me. I want you to answer: Do you trust me?"

"Wh-What?" It was hard to hear him.

"You to trust me...please," He took hold of her hand, "If you do not...I cannot save you," He closed his eyes, "I am sorry, I never meant for this to happen. But I need you to trust me. I can save you. I just-"

Her free hand touched his cheek. He could feel her shaking.

"I trust you."

"...I am sorry," He raised his left hand and let the darkness consume it.

---

"Oh, my head..." Louise massaged her temples and groaned. She'd woken up not long after her Familiar had left, or at least that's what she assumed given that the moons were still out.

How she had slept next to that maid she had no clue, but she was inclined to blame Raziel's poor sense of humor. Oh well, at least she woke up before she did so hopefully the maid would only assume she ended up fornicating with her Familiar while his master was very far away. That would teach him to play a prank on his master.

"Tiny Louise? You're still awake?" She nearly jumped at the sudden call. Turning back she found Eleanor looking down at her disapprovingly; it wasn't as if she looked at her any other way, "What are you doing up?"

"Nothing. Just taking a walk," Please God let her not smell the alcohol on her breath, "Wh-What about you, honored sister?"

"I was reading up on a new research project," She replied, her eyes still narrowed suspiciously, "If you're done with your walk then go back to your room. I'll escort you."

"Oh, um, actually I was sleeping with big sis Catt..." Eleanor's lips curved down, "Sh-She invited me! You can ask her yourself!"

"Hmph, fine," She sighed, "I have to talk to Cattleya about a few things anyway. Might as well hit two griffons with one spell."

The walk took no more than a couple of minutes, but to Louise it felt like hours as she made every attempt to avoid looking even at her sister's general direction. She didn't need to give the grumpy spinster - she made a mental note to never refer to her as that out loud - another reason to assault her cheeks. At this point she was running out of tears to release.

Once they had arrived at the door Eleanor started knocking, "Cattleya? Are you there?" No response. Her brows knitted worriedly and she knocked again, "Cattleya, please answer."

Nothing. Louise felt butterflies in her stomach; her sister was only asleep, right? She pressed her ear against the door, ignoring Eleanor's reproachful gaze. She couldn't hear anything; not even the usual sounds of her sister's pets. What was- Wait.

Her sister was moaning.

Eyes widening, she kicked open the door and ran inside. What she saw nearly caused her to faint: Her sister lying on her back, her arms and chest bare as she held onto her Familiar. She could hear her older sister panting quickly, the sweat glistening on her skin as she held him close, "Ahhh...please..." Her back arched as she pressed her bare chest to his, "Don't stop..."

Raziel grip was equally tight as his mouth drew close to her lips-

"Nooooooooo!"

Raziel barely had time to look at the source of the scream before a kick at his side sent him sprawling out of the bed, "Ah! What the-" Another kick at his ribs sent him down. His body felt weak.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Louise punctuated every word with another kick, "I don't care how close we are, you're not touching big sis Catt, do you hear me!?" He opened his mouth to say something before another kick caused him to hiss in pain, "What were you thinking!? No, I don't even wanna know! Stay away from my sister or-"

"Louise, please stop!" A pair of arms slipped under her arms and pulled her back, "Let him explain, please!"

"Let go of me, Eleanor! I need to-"

"Louise, it's me!" Forcing the younger girl around Cattleya gripped the girl's shoulders and held her in place, "Louise, it's not what it looks like."

"Big sis catt!? Where's..." Looking past her older sister she found the eldest child of the Valliere's frozen in place at the entrance. It was Cattleya who had held her back...but that was impossible; she didn't have the strength for it, "Wait, you were the one holding me back? But how-"

"Louise...look," Removing the blanket from her upper body, Louise gasped as she saw her sister's bare skin: No deformed veins or sickening colors. She appeared perfectly healthy, "See? He wasn't...well, we weren't doing what it appeared we were. He was-"

"C-Cattleya, what happened!?" Eleanor finally spoke up, "You look-"

"Healthy," Louise's finished. She touched her sister's wrist; no movement or lesions, "Wait, h-how is this possible!? I-I mean this is amazing, but-"

"You...might wanna ask him," Cattleya bit her lip and pointed behind her.

Turning back, Louise quickly felt an immense sense of guilt as she saw Raziel wiping his bloody nose. Just how hard had she hit him? Nervously separating from her older sister she offered him a hand up, which he ignored in favor of standing up on his own.

"Raziel, I'm sorr-"

"Now is not the time," He shook his head. His body still felt weak, "What matters now is your sister," He coughed. Damn those kicks hurt, "She...She is not sick, at least not in the way that you thought," He swallowed. He could taste blood, "The Humanity inside her was running rampant. I did not know...I thought I could heal her by giving her more, but it only hurt her. I...I had to siphon the excess out."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Rather than answering he raised his blackened left hand. Her eyes widened as she saw the dark substance rising up like a fire. Her sister had that inside her?

"Louise...your sister is a Firekeeper."

---

And...done! Well, since I did this update so quickly (give or take a day for proofreading) I think I can safely say I deserve a break from writing :) Hopefully not too many people are pissed off by the little bombshell there but hey every fanfic writer tends to change details like Siesta's great grand-pappy or Cattlehya's illness so this is pretty much par for the norm really.

Now before everyone gets pissy about the firekeeper lore: I looked at all three cases and they blatantly contradict - Darkmoon Knightess suffers from deformities due to her Humanity running rampant, but Anastacia and Quelaan don't; their deformities come from elsewhere. Likewise giving Quelaan Humanity heals her despite the fact that, if Darkmoon Knightess is to be believed, Humanity actually hurts them if they're given too much hence her deformities. Quelaan needing Humanity also makes little sense considering she has Firekeeper soul and therefore should be producing it en masse. Anastacia can be revived from death with her body healed, yet this is never an option with Quelaan etc etc. For Cattleya I went with the Knightess' version with the addition that Raziel giving her a Humanity clump caused her body to go haywire.

And once again, Siesta gets the shaft :/ I swear I did try to involve her in this chapter, maybe have her make actual friends with Louise, but by the time we got there the chapter was beginning to bloat so cut went her segments. Maybe later? We'll see.

Lastly, the arguments between Master and Familiar: I debated on whether to extend it or end it so I'm going for a middle ground where they're not hostile to each other but their relationship is still not as good as it previously was. Louise attacking him at the end of the chapter without letting him explain might also come up as a bit of a sore point.

HiddenMaster - The parents didn't get much focus in this chapter, but that makes sense really: Considering their daughter is going to war they really wouldn't care about her odd pet.

Tanner - Read a bit of it...not really my taste.

ArkT - I'll be honest: The gameplay of the Souls/Borne games aren't what I like, but rather the lore. Dark Souls 2 lore in particular since I had to rewrite the story once I got the story of the main game and the DLCs.

Goose Attack - You'd be surprised with the amount of shit people are willing to put up with from others even without the binding of a Familiar ritual or the whole 'I owe you my life' aspect. Let's not forget that Raziel's mindset isn't exactly normal so he's just as prone to doing irrational things like anyone else.

LazyDragonslayer - Don't worry, I can read it just fine :) Thanks for the review and hope you keep reading. And yeah, this ended up darker than I originally planned it. We'll see where it goes.

Draco Oblivion - Humans have the numbers. So far we have two active Undead (counting Wardes) and another two Vampires who are inherently limited. Them versus thousands of charging soldiers will end with them eventually being overwhelmed. Also, Karin doesn't really judge either of them: She's kept contact with two Vampires after all so a Human familiar isn't that odd in context.

Kishinokurobi - Perhaps, but her combat prowess has nothing to do with it. Montmorency could be the best killer in the world and it won't make him like her. Likewise her best friend is Siesta, a non-combatant. Due to his own prejudices he finds Henrietta's personality abhorrent and no amount of 'dirtying her hands' will change that. He has to change as well for them to get along.

Inigo's Tea Time - Well she does worry Chapter 39 that she's growing apathetic to killing people, which she's desperately trying to curb.

MuRioDame - Dunno how many souls since I don't really keep count; Yes he might be able to upgrade, but he needs a bonfire and the blacksmithing kit along with the embers; Derflinger counts, but for the most part no since weapons have changed somewhat as the time periods changed such as guns, cannons, crossbows etc etc. He'll grab whatever helps at the time.

Loyaltothelegion - I've said it before, but as of right now no. His new abyss powers are broken enough as it is that I don't need to give him any more freebies by giving him soul powers as well.