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The following is a fan-based

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Chapter 22: Lively Friendship (2)

Beta-Reader: Ant0nius

Of all the years she had spent together with Ambar, Geecku had never put much thought into the idea of having a playmate.

A mate was something she was more accustomed to. Someone to have with her and indulge in primal desires and thoughts. Many were the ones the Life Crest had tried, many were the ones that had ultimately limited their affection to her to mere mating. Just a few had kept her as a friend. Not in the normal sense of the word, but at least they were keen to indulge in more than mating.

But as affection goes through that intimacy, so does through little things. Things that Geecku, after so long, had slightly forgotten about and was now keen to remember and enjoy once again with her newest friend. The young human was rather shy around her early on. Her lack of clothes, a decision that she had taken after suffering through some unpleasant uniforms in the last few centuries, seemed to be the main issue behind this reaction. Something that she had noticed being common with others that weren't familiar with Geecku.

She knew that her upbringing was unique. Even for the tribes that had once praised her as the bringer of true Life and guardian for those willing to reach adulthood, she was quite anomalous when it comes to personal rules and limitations.

There were only a few inner laws that the Prime would never try to cross, most of them related to elements that opposed the Crest she was the bearer of. Life was precious, and it was to be lived in complete freedom and without any external imposition. That was the mantra that had driven to be fairly reluctant in seeking a place for herself in the heart of civilization. So many laws, so many annoying things to keep track of to not be rude to others.

It was incredibly weird, but at least she could rely on Ambar and her hospitality. Her home had a mix of rules and freedom. The courtyard was spacious, warm and plenty of room for Geecku to enjoy when she wanted to run around and remember the numerous hunts she had taken a part in. Always the predator, never the prey.

That is… until she decided to play tag with her newest friend. It was strange to imagine that this was the first time in ages since she last played this game with someone. So long and… now she felt dumb for not having tried to do something like this before with Ambar. Just as that thought entered her mind, a counter came out of what she knew about the Wisdom Crest's burdens. Paperwork was a scary monster that Geecku had watched devour men and women into eternal boredom. It was the worst enemy she could ever imagine facing, which was why she was keen to bribe Minnow to do it for her when it came to her former job back in that golden ship of theirs.

But right now she shouldn't be thinking of such a terrible thing. No, she should enjoy the fact that this entire situation, this unexpected game of theirs, was lifting her out of the boredom that had gained a hold on her since earlier this morning. Frankie was, in her opinion, a funny individual. Not just because of his expressive reactions, but also because he was slowly but surely growing more confident around her. A small smile was on his face as she giggled left and right, dodging his best efforts to catch her.

Her flexible body was put to the test as she swiftly avoided a few close calls coming from her chaser. The human wasn't the fastest, but he definitely reacted well enough, considering the terrain he was playing in. Geecku was actually impressed, and she couldn't help but feel giddy at the long chase that she ended up having with him.

There was just a sense of rush and simplicity that made her smile and laugh. Something long-forgotten and… incredibly nice. The chase ended as she allowed herself to be caught, it wasn't due to tiredness or anything related to fatigue. No, the Life Crest had played easy for a while in order to have the young man become more accustomed to the basics.

Now it was her turn to hunt and show him that things weren't so simple. And that she was an eager predator that wanted to play more with him and see how good he was at running. A moment, that's how long it took for Frankie to realize how quick and ferocious Geecku really was when she was the one chasing. He ducked just in time to avoid her tackle, and was forced to roll away as she pressed on him by rushing forward the moment she landed back on the ground.

Despite the growth in tension, both were smiling, and that seemed to put a surprising amount of relief in the Life Crest. For a moment she thought he would have been angry at her aggressive take on the game. Maybe it was the pure adrenaline that lessened that emotion, allowing for them both to enjoy that time together the best way possible.

She was grinning eye-to-eye as she kept on pressuring him, knowing that eventually he would have succumbed at her stalking effort. Despite the fact he didn't seem to have a genuine sense of understanding about how much she was putting behind each move, she could tell that he had been trained. He knew how to fight and had a fight-flight mentality that allowed him to react accordingly.

It made that second round quite exciting as she found herself having a tougher time getting to catch him. She ended up taking a little more than twenty minutes finally tackling him down on the ground. A blink, then she frowned as he saw the hysterical look he had on his face. A few tears rolling down his cheeks, amused noises coming out of his open smile and entertained look.

"Y-You are so fast," He commented and the Life Crest felt surprised at the words uttered by him. It felt just so odd that there wasn't an annoyed reaction. Or a restrained pleased one. It just felt plain weird for her to see that someone would actually enjoy her win.

It made her happy. Way happier than usual. Yet she merely stared for a while, yellow eyes wide open as she felt a strange warmth coming from her chest.

Heat? Fever?

She didn't feel either being the cause of that strange emotion. It was something new, something pleasant but nonetheless novel to her. But… Geecku managed to pull herself out of that strange mood before her newest friend could notice anything, leaning down and nuzzling atop his chest. He was so soft, so cuddly and it felt lovely to rest down and look at him smile at her.

"Geecku really fast!" She half-exclaimed, smiling mirthfully while accepting with a nod the sudden right hand of his patting her head.

There was peace and she felt at ease with the world as a whole while the-

"So this is where you two were!" A loud masculine voice called, making them both tense up as the Life Crest was the one that checked who spoke up. Her posture further tensed the moment she recognized the one that was currently regarding her with absolute annoyance.

Geecku blew a raspberry at the Death Crest and… Sem didn't look happy about it based on the deepening frown on his face. Ambar approached them just brief moments after, an amused look on her face as she was tinkering with her phone.

"Apologies for the delay, but I needed to take this picture," The High Prime hummed before looking up and smiling at the scene. "And I see that you made an interesting friend, Mr. Parker."

The Lizard Prime felt the human shift a little bit nervously, but he managed just a few words.

"L-Lady Ambar."

The Wisdom Crest giggled. "It's alright. I'm more amused than anything, it's not a common sight to see Geecku making friends," The redhead replied before turning her attention to Geecku herself. "And I didn't expect you to to be this keen to make friends like this."

The blue-haired girl smiled and nodded. "I like Frankie."

It took them a few minutes to get out of the courtyard and back to Ambar's office. Geecku followed, now interested by what was going on and why Frankie was here to begin with. He was tied with Sem, which made him less pleasant to have around… but also not, since the young man really looked awkward while around the Death Crest.

And without knowing it, Frankie ended up gaining the interest of another Crest.

I sat down on one of the chairs that Ambar gestured to us as soon as we arrived at our destination.

Professor Aken sat down mere moments after me, while Geecku decided to make things more awkward than needed by sitting on my lap. She didn't do anything beyond sitting there.

I wasn't entirely sure why the other two occupants of the room appeared alright with this development, but I figured that this wasn't something they would normally see happen. Ambar hummed while giving a quick look to the screen of her terminal, swiftly returning her attention to us and nodding.

"Now, I believe you were informed as to why you have been asked to come here, Mr. Parker," The High Prime spoke up with a calm tone, her smile widening the moment she saw me nod. "Good, then I guess you know that I wish to make sure that you are able to properly train without your powers going awry. It's a minor check up, and it's not invasive nor painless."

I knew that it was something fairly simple, but the fact she was quick to confirm this somehow put me in a calmer mood. I nodded once more.

"Geecku dear, you should let your friend come closer to me so I can get through with this quick thing."

The Lizard Prime hummed, but she stood up so that I could move out of the chair and start walking around the Wisdom Crest's desk. I wasn't exactly sure how this was meant to work, especially since I didn't have much experience in Crests' Magic altogether, but I felt quite nervous when I saw the High Prime stand up, still smiling and carefully place her hands on the side of my head.

At first I expected it to be sudden and intense, but what I got was 'something'. It wasn't evident at first, but I slowly began to feel something 'prodding' inside my head. Careful, almost undetected and… yet I felt it. Somehow I felt it.

"That's your Wisdom Magic aiding you," The woman replied, giggling as she saw my eyes widen in surprise at that response. "Differently from Naerie, I need to touch people to know what they are thinking about. I hope it's alright if I… oh? That's an interesting friendship you got with that big girl."

"Uh..." I muttered, feeling rather violated at that and she shook her head.

"Sorry, dear. Kind of tough to keep away from those topics and… I can say that you will do fine," She replied cryptically. "You just need to be yourself and hold perseverance. She will eventually notice."

My jaws actually dropped at that, but I decided to take that response with a mere nod. It's not like I hadn't thought about asking for some advice about what was going on with Hope, and hearing this actually made me feel a little more confident that I was on good tracks.

While also leaving me perplexed about how I was supposed to handle the situation with Vixy.

"That I can't help you with. I think you should be the one to find a closure about it with your close friend," The Bear Prime offered. "Still, let's resume the serious bit of the task and… oh? What is this?"

While she said this, I felt a strange pull from within. Differently from anything I felt before, this one didn't seem aimed at 'me', but rather something that had taken residence 'within me'. I blinked, at first confused by the strange sensation… before I needed to shield my eyes and look away when a blinding light started forming between Ambar and I. The High Prime was suddenly pushed away- no, she was forced to take a few steps back as 'someone' had emerged from me and was now hugging her tightly.

"Mama!"

The very 'projection' that had formed a while back during that bizarre situation with Naerie had appeared once more. The younger version of the Wisdom Crest's daughter looked fairly loving and… Ambar was vibrating at the sight and completing the embrace by lifting the giggling girl up and closer to her.

"Dear Dragons, you are so cute!" The High Prime had to say, her face nuzzling close to her daughter's younger version. The sight itself would have given diabetes to many with how sweet and adorable it was.

The teacher glanced at me with a frown. "So, is this tied to what happened between you and Ms. Xiong?"

His voice broke me off from my distraction, eyes going wide as I remembered the entire predicament I was in.

"Y-Yeah. I mean, little Naerie was visible just to us like… my younger version."

I felt a cold realization enter my mind and I glanced back at Ambar. "L-Lady Ambar, if little Naerie is here, could that lead to Naerie to unconsciously release-"

"Your younger self? Doubtful. I'm quite certain that such a phenomenon isn't just tied to a release like this one."

I felt relieved at hearing that, remembering that Naerie was busy with Shin and Hope about some History-related study session, so I could tell a sudden mini-me would have made for quite the awkward development. Still, as I grew at ease with that confirmation, my attention was back at the little Bear Prime as she was done hugging her mother. Looking up at my face, she lifted her hands up, silently asking for an easy thing for me to guess.

I hummed, but shrugged as I saw Ambar nodding in my direction. I picked little Naerie up and she giggled as she happily enjoyed being brought off the ground. "You're so tall, Frankie!"

Smiling, I give her a curious look. "Well, your older self is almost as tall as me. Do you like the height?"

"It's nice," She chirpily replied and I really could notice now how easy it was how different chibi-Naerie was from her older self. More confident, more easygoing and… less worried about making mistakes with her emotions.

Surprisingly enough, the girl suddenly yawned and her form began shining a suave blue.

"I'm a little tired. Can we play… next time?"

I blinked at the request, and I could tell that she was disappearing once more. Perhaps the magic wasn't capable of stabilizing a construct like this for too long and… I nodded. "Sure."

Her smile widened, and soon she was… gone. It felt strangely odd, almost saddening, but I didn't feel much touched about it. Maybe I just knew she was going to come back eventually and- and then I felt a pair of hands grasp at my shoulders. I glanced in front of me and I tensed up at the annoyed look on Ambar's face.

"It's so unfair that you got that interesting thing going on. I would pay half this kingdom to have a copy of my baby girl when she was cute and cheerful," The woman lamented. "But I guess it's fine if someone like you can offer me this kind of sight from time to time. Alas, I think it's time for you to finally reveal your power."

…

"What?"

The suddenness of the second half caught me off-guard. Power? I thought that it was just a mere check-up.

"Differently from many Clans, those that are tied to the Wisdom Clan are capable of developing their powers fairly early. Yours is… quite interesting, but fitting of your previous experiences," The High Prime elaborated. "In fact, I think a display is needed so Sem can understand what you can work on to reach an acceptable level."

I blinked, still far from getting a clear picture of what exactly I was supposed to do. Before I could say anything, Ambar gave me a single pat on my cheek, something warmth spreading all over my brain and… then I suddenly ducked in time to avoid a sudden punch from her free hand. It all happened in mere instants, my eyes going wide open once more as I began to dodge numerous quick punches from the woman, moving left and right before being forced to block at a sudden kick from her.

The attack was still difficult to tank despite my swift guard, but I was just knocked back by just a few steps.

"You should also try to react, Frankie. Else you might end up bruised."

It was a warning, an intense one. I tensed up at her voice and I felt nervous when she pressed on that advantage. I had yet to grasp what was happening and… how I was keeping up with all of this but then- I reacted. And it was incredibly satisfying.

It's been a while since I took a fighting stance and I briefly took up my old boxing one. That was a short-lived decision as, for some reason, my body started to change the stance into something else. Becoming more flexible, leaving more openings to be exploited, and yet … it was slowly starting to match what Ambar was using against me. It felt like Martial Arts and, remembering when Naerie mentioned that her mother grew up in China, I felt confident that it was something she had developed there.

There was a degree of strength with each blow we were sharing, and soon I felt granted reprieve in the form of a sloppy opening. This one wasn't a bluff, I could tell that it was a genuine chance for me to gain momentum against her. So I dived in by landing a powerful punch on her midriff and… I actually fell on my knees while holding my hurting hand. The fist had slammed onto its target, but instead of delivering pain, it received an excruciating amount of it.

Ambar giggled, standing over me and… patting my head.

"My, oh my, that was rather intense," She commented mirthfully. "If I had left my belly at ease, you would have hurt me. Sadly, my body didn't grow anywhere as soft as others. I'm a tough girl as many would say."

I groaned, accepting her helping hand and standing up thanks to her support. She gave a quick look at my hand and nodded. "That's gonna need some ice. I will see to have some brought up here while we discuss some more about what had just happened."

"He was dodging faster," Professor Aker replied carefully, glancing at us with a fascinated look. "But I doubt that is what his power really is about."

"Frankie copies Ambar," Geecku added with a nod. "Fast but… it's a copy."

"Indeed, Frankie was slowly 'learning' how to use my own stance against me. In fact, for a brief moment, I would have received some damage if he had the power to pack such a worrying attack," The Wisdom Crest further explained. "His power is impressive, but still limited by time and… personal capacities. If he ever decides to intensely train and develop his magic, I can see him become a Dragon Knight in a couple of years, maybe even little less than a decade."

That comment had me frowning. "I-Isn't that the highest grade a Knight can aspire?"

"That's correct," The Bear Prime answered with a smile. "You would be a fine Knight if you had actually decided to take that path in life… but I don't think you are really up to that kind of pace. Aren't you?"

…

"I believe I will settle with my current aspirations, Lady Ambar."

"And I would be more than delighted to see what kind of delicious dishes you will serve at your future restaurant if things go as you wish them to be, Frankie," She replied while giggling. "Nonetheless, I believe you will do fine with some training. I understand you aren't really that worried about the Narakhan you encountered a while ago, and I can see why you are so sure of it. But… I wish for you to understand that those that are loyal to Chaos can easily be manipulated and will be forced to take actions that they wouldn't normally do. So please, be wary of this information."

I gave a slow nod. "I-I will."

"Good. Now, Sem… I think it's up to you to decide what to do next. I believe we have an agreement and, while I know you will go through with the part regarding Mr. Parker, you will still have to fulfill the other bit I asked you to comply with."

"Yes," The teacher answered curtly and the Bear Prime sighed.

"Well then… I think we are done for this visit," She replied calmly. "And Frankie?"

I looked at her and nodded.

"If you need any advice. Any… 'lessons', feel free to contact me. I wouldn't mind to aid some young love in the making."

I was confused by that offer at first, feeling like there was something within it that I didn't catch as I first heard it. Then I realized the innuendo, and I proceeded to fight off the blush while Professor Aker and I left that room.

Geecku was sad to hear this, but Ambar muttered something about having a plan to make her happy. We weren't around to listen to what it was all about, and soon we were out of the manor.

Despite this enlightening visit, I couldn't help but ponder over my new power. It was a novelty for sure but, for some reason, I didn't feel that much drained after using it for that amount of time…

Ifera was… confused. Immensely so.

It's been a while since she had genuinely gone through her plans about her mission. Here she was, wasting her existence on some tree's branch, her eyes staring aimlessly at the leaves above her head. It all felt so relaxing and… distracting. She needed to be distracted so she could forget what happened with… him.

Her breath itched the more she contemplated that scene. Her body shivered, her mind blanked out as the faint memory of the feelings that had melted her mind came to her thoughts. A blink, then two… and once again she was stuck in a state of perplexity.

This was a first for Ifera. Never in her life she would have imagined that something like this could have happened during a mission and… yet it did. Her chest hurt slightly at the thought, her focus within her mind not truly aimed at capturing her current target. No, she was so invested in understanding how it was possible that he had managed to get her this confused about herself and the mission itself.

"You know, if you fail constantly when you're about to do something bad, maybe it's because you're not a bad person."

His words haunted her even now as she tried to find reason within her purpose. Why was she so keen to fail- why everything she did resulted in a failure?

Then again, it wasn't everything. There were times ever since she started her mission where she would manage to overcome any problem thrown her way. Sure, she came close to fail more than not, but Ifera knew when to stop, think and come around any issues. It was better to be careful than rush at the target and mess things up. She was precise, careful and… and then there was that obstacle she didn't know how to beat.

His smile got her leg wobbly, the fact he didn't exploit her weakness to do hurtful things to her, to capture her or even have her arrested… It spoke volumes to her. But the Narakhan didn't know what exactly this was all about. Was this kindness? Or maybe he was just trying to act in an effort to lower her defense and then attack her?

Her mind just couldn't decide which was the closest to reality and that left the young woman more and more unable to choose what to do next. It was clear that she couldn't do this mission alone. The growth of the difficulty here means that her own skills, albeit excellent, were not up to handling the sudden increase of guards over her main objectives.

A letter to the elders to explain why she required more manpower was going to be enough. It was clear that the protection employed was way more than predicted and that mostly justified some of the delays she had been suffering. It was a personal defeat, but at least it didn't disrupt her plans by too much.

She had thought a lot about who to ask for this mission, and two names eventually came out of that brainstorming. It was a tough decision to make, but she was certain she did right. At least, those were the least problematic to call upon and, hopefully, her leadership was going to prevent the shenanigans they were known to cause during each mission.

Finally, she came up to think how to handle… Frankie. He was incredibly good at handling people like her, there was something within his actions and manners that made him an interesting individual and… she knew that there was a single open door for her to breach into if she wanted to have a chance of success.

If the aggressive kidnapping wasn't going to do much, then it was time for her to evaluate something a little more riskier than her previous effort. Something that was going to easily put her in a disadvantageous position if she wasn't capable of keeping an eye out for the kind of action she might end up going through.

It was also embarrassing-

"Then I will stop you myself everytime you attack us."

And then there was also that! It wasn't just that easy for her to go down the idea of seducing her target. He was nice, he was handsome and she couldn't stop thinking about him. It was infuriating, but also not. It was angering, but also not. She was pissed, but also deeply confused and concerned about her positive thoughts about it.

She… still had to try. It was difficult, there was no doubt that it was a treacherous road ahead of her but… hopefully, she didn't trip down and- no! No more talking about tripping for a few years. Ifera sure was going to be careful with her actions from now on to avoid anything like that from ever happening again.

There was no way in Chaos' purest realm that she was going to allow this to happen once more! She just couldn't accept it!

AN

And then you said 'no'.

Maybe.

Aw, still attached to her?

Kind of.

By the way, nice work with Journal of a Farmhand. I wait for that snippet about me.

Of course-

Followed by a couple more snippets to enthusiastically praise me.

Goddammit Ambar!