Author's Note: Hey all! No, I'm not dead, just lazy. Here's another installation for anyone who still cares ^o^; and I promise to update more frequently. You do believe me, …don't you?
i
Chocolate awoke to the feeling of someone shaking her. Ah, maybe it's Carrot, come to his senses. Wait a second… where the hell am I?! She sat bolt upright, hand instinctively reaching for her wire, only to find it wasn't there. Her eyes flew wide, and Tira released her shoulders.
"Lord, Chocolate, you sleep like the dead."
She yawned widely. "How on earth did you get here?"
Tira shrugged. "Strange girl -"
"-with silver hair," Chocolate finished. "Amethyst. And where, may I ask, did my wire go?"
"I'm sorry about that, but I don't permit weapons in this establishment. Violence only breeds violence, and I won't have it," Amethyst supplied from the doorway. "You may have your weapon back when you leave, just as Carrot will get his sword and Marron his dagger. Is that fair enough?"
Chocolate nodded mutely. "D-dagger? Marron? No way!"
"I assure you that I removed a dagger from his sleeve when I sent him to sleep in the same way that I took your wire. Now, come with me, or you'll miss breakfast." She led off purposefully, nodding greetings to everyone she passed, and opened the door to what was obviously the main dining hall. Inside, almost a hundred children ranging in age from about six to fifteen-or-so were busy devouring breakfast, and barely noticed their entry.
"Over there," Amethyst gestured to a table where Marron, Carrot, Gateau, Milphey and Minda sat, accompanied by a few curious children. "I'll be back before you leave, don't worry."
"Lady Amethyst? I'll take care of them until you get back, if you like," a boy of about fourteen chirped as she passed his table. Amethyst smiled broadly.
"Thankyou, Tamal. That would be wonderful."
He brushed his floppy brown hair out of his eyes and ushered Chocolate and Tira to their friends' table.
"Morning!" Gateau called brightly. "Oversleep, did we?"
"Don't make me put on my hat," Chocolate grumbled, searching for a coffee cup.
"Wouldn't matter if you did, you've got nothing to hurt him with," Minda chirruped. She received a death glare from the older Misu sister.
"Minda, can it. You're worse than your fa…when the hell did you two get here?!"
The other girl just tapped her nose and turned back to the conversation she'd engaged her father and Marron in.
Just as the last of the students stood up to file out the door, Amethyst came back. "Are you done here? I think it's time we got down to business. Carrot, Chocolate, Tira and Gateau, I've organised a small tour for you. I'm sure it won't be terribly interesting, but after you learn your way around, you can sit in on a few classes. Even if you have no talent for magic whatsoever, the students are always looking for new people to impress. Minda, Marron, Milphey, you come with me."
"Me?" Milphey whined. "Why me? You said yourself I was useless."
"You are," Amethyst quipped a little too quickly for comfort. "But on the other hand, you're also experienced. And I don't trust you as far as I could kick you not to molest the teachers here, so you're along for the ride."
"Oh. It's nice to know I'm trusted," he grunted, obviously offended.
Amethyst's expression darkened and she glared fiercely at him. "Don't think for an instant that anything between us has changed. I neither like nor trust you, and you'd do better to remember that."
From her seat on a low-hanging tree branch in the front courtyard, Amethyst appraised Marron critically. "You're quite impressive, Marron. Your progression far outstrips my own achievements when I was your age. As far as raw power goes, you may even be stronger than me," she added with a delicate tilt of her head.
"What about me?" Minda interrupted cattily.
Amethyst eyed her the way she had done Marron. "I can't tell. You're still not back at full strength yet. Be patient, the hurt inflicted on you was great," she soothed.
Marron's brows were drawn together in fierce concentration.
"So," he began hesitantly, "If I were to face you in a battle of magic, I'd win?"
Fingering a strand of moonlit hair, she considered this carefully. "Maybe. Hypothetically, you should win. But I don't believe it would happen."
"Then…if there's a chance…would you be willing to pit yourself against me? Right now?"
"Marron, that's not-" Milphey started, but Amethyst hushed him and Minda clamped a hand over his mouth.
Amethyst dropped gracefully from her perch, and stroked his pale face gently. "You're so young, and I don't want to hurt you…treasure your youth, and come to me when you are in control of your power. Pit yourself against me on equal terms. Not like this, with so much left undone," she murmured cryptically.
In a rare display of near-violence, Marron batted her hand away as fiercely as he had Gateau's that fateful morning at the Stellar Church. "You just said I had more power than you, so stop treating me like a child! I'm not a child, and I'm not weak and I don't need this type of protection. Face me, Lady of the Air, or I'll leave this instant," he demanded, sealing the challenge with the mention of her full title.
"…Very well, I accept your challenge. But be aware that this foolishness will see you injured, at the very least."
"I don't care."
"Marron!" Milphey blurted, "She'll kill you!"
"Hush, papa," Minda soothed. "I don't think she will. And besides, I want to see where this is going."
"Would you mind greatly if this became a whole-school affair? Challengers don't arise often, let alone ones of your calibre," Amethyst called out as she walked towards her chambers.
"Fine," Marron called back.
"Alright then. The practice gardens, in half an hour. I'll call the infirmary," she laughed, and walked away, leaving Marron to his thoughts. Scrambling desperately for an eloquent sounding exit line, Milphey managed a strangled yelp, and took off at top speed in Amethyst's direction.
Just as she'd said it would be, Marron's challenge did become a whole-school affair, with everyone from the students, white-robed teachers and even the menial staff appearing out of nowhere to watch for themselves the match of power between the Lady of Air and the stranger who'd only come to them the day before. Rumour had spread like wildfire among them that this newcomer's power was even greater than Amethyst's, but this was uncertain, given the fact that Amethyst herself was a rather unknown quantity.
On one side of the open glade sheltered by the rocky cliffs that formed the valley walls, Marron stood resolutely, face set in determination, surrounded by the nervous huddle of his friends. There was nothing they could do except wait in the deafening silence.
Inside the deserted buildings, however, it was not so quiet…
"For the seven-hundredth time, Milphey, I'm not going to kill the boy!" Amethyst shoved past the distressed knight as he blocked her path again in the hallway.
"Then call this ridiculous contest off!" he pleaded.
"No." coldly, and deeply serious. "I won't do that. He needs too see how much he can improve, and he won't see it unless I rough him up a bit. And since when do I explain myself to you? Now get out of my way before I send you back to Enma early."
"But-" She held up one delicate hand, and a ball of energy began to pulse on the tip of each finger.
Milphey got out of her way.
