Sonic and the Pink Tress

by TokuBinu

Even if they couldn't see each other, even if he couldn't understand where the pain came from, why it was directed for him...and why he was chosen for her, the power of the confession from beyond space and time compelled him and he heeded her call. Within a few feet of reaching the ring, the intense gravity surrounding the unnatural phenomenon pulled the hedgehog into the portal.

4. Destiny for Two

Disclosure: I do not own anything related to Sonic the Hedgehog or The Familiar of Zero/Zero no Tsukaima. All properties belong to their respective owners. This is fan-fiction and should not be treated as part of a canon with any franchise.

Sonic is owned and trademarked by SEGA corporation.

Familiar of Zero/Zero no Tsukaima is made by the works of Noboru Yamaguchi, and its Light Novels are published under Media Factory.

Apart from that, I hope you enjoy!

-TokuBinu

---

In their sleep, lost to the quiet stillness of the night, the hours passed along like a breeze. The girl was consumed in a dreamless existence neither comforting nor torturing the girl, merely encompassing peacefully for the moment. The stars trailed along the sky, and both the moons faded away, obscured by the horizon as red dawn arose along with the ever-growing rays of sunshine. As the light of the sun continued to scatter across the land, light poured down the open windows of the academy, illuminating the interiors of the cobblestone building to a morning day.

Life slowly crept along wherever the light touched as the faint chirps of birds gradually increased in volume. Happily, they flew forth and sang in the morning rays. The dew-kissed seas of grass glimmered with great intensity as the sun crept above.

The shadows, basked in the cloak of the night, splintered into many shadowy streams. These tendrils of the dark shade hid to the rooms' corners and the hallways dotting the academy. Gradually, there was a subtle awareness of feeling in the occupant. Fleshy twitching eyelids grimaced and tensed up as streams of light peered down the windows splattering across the walls of the room and its sole occupant, Louise. Tears spilled and gathered together between the slits of her eyes, wetting them.

The girl's eyelids eventually split apart, unveiling her shimmering pink sapphire eyes. However, upon opening her eyes, her retinas were flashed by pure sunlight, and the petite girl grimaced as she squinted, trying to focus and regain her vision. The gleam beneath her eyelids faded away after some time, and wearily she peeked out from beneath the blanket.

The small girl blinked momentarily, fiercely, as her peripherals adjusted to the invading beams. Louise inexplicably found a great desire to yawn to her heart's content, so dropping her sheet onto her waist, Louise rose and gave a long and mighty yawn, stretching herself up, cupping her mouth as she did so. A faint blossom of tears formed in the corners of her eyes, moisturizing her pupils.

"Hnnng...euuh.." Louise plopped herself forward lazily with a faint puff escaping her lips.

A moment later, Louise retreated to herself and slouched over on her resting bed as her mind tried to recollect itself gradually. "Wu—" Louise yawned tiredly as she massaged her head; she paused for a moment before continuing. "Wuh happen..?" The rather drab cobblestone room came into focus, and her mind numbed just thinking. Louise shook her head, slightly uncertain, and still recovering from her nightly sleep as a sudden realization whipped against the girl.

Louise scrunched her eyes as she surveyed her—the room. The hunched girl leaned a bit further, squinting. This... wasn't her room; this isn't her room. Louise went to wipe at the tears hanging loosely at the corners of her eyes as the faint vestiges of sleep still stuck to her, but as she rose her hands she was suddenly conscious of a weight pressing down on her fingers.

Louise peered down quickly, but in her haste to glance down she neglected to care for her sight, and suddenly the girl clenched her eyes, wincing groggily. After a few passing moments, Louise hesitantly peeked and saw to her surprise a gold ring in her grasp. Louise blinked feverishly as she brought the ring closer for inspection. Her eyes crossed slightly as she looked around the ring, noticing rather strange runes on the gold surface. The runic language it had looked familiar, yet somehow distant to any language she knew; the inscription was ineligible. "Where... did this come from?.."

As Louise absentmindedly thumbed the mysterious ring, she realized it slid quite easily through her hand, like a bracelet. With that in mind, Louise slid the ring on her wrist, and studied it; the ring looked rather nice on her, its golden glazing glint looked charming on her. Taking her hands away, Louise blinked in bewildered haste as she altogether took in the room she was in.

In the rising sun, the bare room was brighter than ever before, and the girl saw that everything was wrong: where her furniture was, the colors of the wall, even her bed! Louise quickly felt the last desire to sleep fade to the back of her mind.

"Where... where am I? This isn't my room! How did I get here? I don't... I can't remember?" Louise looked around feverishly, trying to find a clue as to where she may be, her panic rising with every passing second. Her heart began to hammer in her chest in trepidation, but then she came upon a beautiful sight; Louise gasped and held her breath, and her eyes quivered, stunned.

Sitting on the nightstand beside her place of rest was the most exotic and otherworldly flowers the girl had ever seen. The petals originating from every stem of the filled pot bloomed unreserved, taking in as much sunlight as they could. The collage of buds held hues surrounding a spectrum of pink, mirroring Louise's hair color. The light of their tones copied the slight glow of her skin. It was almost as if it were explicitly picked with her in mind. Louise was enamored by her sight, not only from its presence but also from its exotic and grand beauty.

Without even realizing it, her hand reached out to touch the flowers, but she retracted herself from going any further, stopping her fingers from brushing against the flowers, hovering just a pinch away. "For me? Why are they here?" Louise whispered wondrously, truly touched. Her heart raced as she imagined who it might've come from.

It was a gift for her? Louise never received any presents from anyone in the academy, only sweets sent by her dearest sister Cattleya now and then. "Who brought these flowers? Who gave me these? Are they for me? They must!" She was left truly baffled the more she tried to figure out. Louise was amazed, stunned by the sight of these flowers. The girl reached and gripped, stuffing her nails, clamping down the long and thick blades of her hair. Louise scratched and rubbed along her temples, disoriented, and at a loss.

No one, not her peers, and indeed not the faculty and staff at the academy, liked her. Only so much as to just tolerate her presence. There was hardly anyone she was close to who would be mindful enough to gift her out of the goodness of their heart, and the nursing staff wasn't obligated to leave presents for sick or injured students. Her own family wouldn't even leave a note from an incident that hadn't been notified to them; merely her mother would be the one to respond physically or, if not her for whatever reason, then dearest Eléonore.

Louise gripped her head and grimaced as a migraine came up, buzzing in the back of her skull. She held her breath and eased into a tense breathing pattern to diminish the painful buzz in her head. Though it hurt to think, Louise was adamant in trying to recall the last memory to surface. It was... it was barely last night that she passed out in the border between the forest and the plains outside of the academy before waking up in this room, the nursery she now remembered.

Now that she thought more carefully, who brought her here? Again, it couldn't have been her teachers, her classmates hold no personal connection to her, and it definitely couldn't have been the staff. Her thoughts came to Kirche, and the pink-haired girl bared her teeth in revulsion. The only person Louise could come up with was that degenerate barbarian. She could only imagine that the buxom redhead somehow followed her all the way to the forest and decided to bring her to the nursery after she fell unconscious. Was it only to remind Louise that she'll remain suffering for the rest of her life? The girl shook her head in denial; that in and of itself was far fetched.

They were rivals. If the hot-headed wench had the chance to leave her for dead, she probably would.

Most definitely would.

Louise tried thinking hard and long for an answer that would make sense, something that would click in her head about how she came here. For a few moments, the color gold kept coming back to her, but... Louise sighed, resigned. No matter how hard she tried to recall her memories right before her mind blacked out, nothing recognizable popped into her mind.

Giving up on finding out the clues to her mystery, she decided to leave the matter alone and instead turned to the brilliant light of the sun streaming into the room. Staring at the strays of radiance peeking into the room, she suddenly groaned, realizing that she woke up to the day after the familiar summoning...

And there were no familiars with her. Louise gripped the sheets of her bed as her hands tensed in place.

...She was utterly alone. Louise gritted her teeth angrily as her eyes scrunched up. That's why these flowers were here. It wasn't a gift; it was goodbye. They know, all the academy has to know now. The air felt hot, and an immense sensation of burning could be felt around her eyes.

"I... failed. I failed, haven't I? I am... a failure—" Louise shuddered and jolted upright as she suddenly hiccuped, and a tear spilled down her cheek. It rolled down and slid gradually, "I'm not a mage... there's nothing for me here... nothing." Louise brought her hands up, and she peered down at them with shame and regret, "Am I a..m-mistake? Am I cursed, d-damned even?" The tear hung on her cheek, bubbling up before it separated from Louise and plummeted below, staining the bedsheet.

"Mother, I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. Forgive me, please...!" Louise pleaded, her voice shrieking out in horror and immense guilt.

Sniffles escaped the girl as her heart was caught in her throat. There was no familiar with her here, which could only mean that in her last summoning, before her mind fizzled away every time she tried to prod her memories, every ounce of her willpower was sucked out of her. She failed in completing her formal duty as a noble to graduate with a familiar.

Her head hung low, mournful. What would become of her? How could she ever face her family again?

Louise leaned down; her eyes closed in shame. She pressed her forehead at the surface of the sheets, whimpering softly; a wet trail streaked down her lips. The skin around her eyes soaked as she tried to whisper some prayers, but the words wouldn't come out her mouth; she couldn't bear to hear her croaking pathetic voice anymore. The girl was lost in her grief; the only noise reaching her was the hiccups jumping from her throat, the soft cries escaping her lips, and the faint but noticeable crumples of her bedsheets. Louise spat some stray hairs from her mouth as her hair clumped together in a tangle. Gingerly, she slid her fingers along the thin blades of her hair, obscuring her sight, pushing them aside from her cheeks.

Her pink sapphire eyes met with the streaming beams of the sun, glimmering underneath the sol blazes like a sparkling jewel, deep in the crevices of the dark. Louise's sight trembled beneath the warm, comforting light. Her pupils twinkled like a star by the edges; all its wonder, its beauty, and magnificence of life reflected in those enriched glimmering orbs. The closer to her pupils, the richer the colors glowed, and they glistened like thousands of glittering stars. In its depth told a story of great expectations and yearning for acceptance in her struck eyes.

They shook and quivered in place, solemn, teary, and mournful as their nimble and intermingling fibers intensified in the radiance of her pink eyes. Louise blinked, her brows raised frightfully, and her lips stretched to a dejected pained grimace.

Looking to the only window out to the open world beside her, Louise blinked blearily; her teary eyes simmered underneath the giant star. Louise allowed herself to be lost in the view of the courtyard outside, all thoughts and pain numbed out. Without much thought, Louise let her feelings wander to the outdoors, basking in the nature that remained since the beginning of Alfheim. The student didn't know what else to think, do, or what have; it was too painful for her, the emotional baggage of these things. Due to the sun's brightness, Louise promptly closed her eyes and lay her head back on the pillow. The girl fell back unceremoniously, and her hair fluttered along in a mess. The strands of her hair spread, unkempt and lazily spilling about. Louise brought a hand and held it above her eyes, messing with the shadows mindlessly. A moment later, the back of her hand draped on her forehead, slapping against her skin.

She remained there; her form flattened against the bedsheets, her face twisted in a grimace varying wildly in a flux of emotions. Regret, fear, shame... it was plastered across her stretched and rosy cheeks. Louise shuddered every other moment, groaning as she tried to gulp down another cry; her wails choked and squeezed her throat, and her voice came out hoarse and in a fit of hiccups.

Clouded in her pain, the lone girl overlooked the faint but ever-increasing scurrying and soft thumps of footsteps nearing her room, and then the girl froze and nearly shrieked in fear. A sharp gasp escaped her lips suddenly as the doorknob separating her room from the outside jiggled in place. Louise sprung up and leaned heavily against the headboard of her bed, her dainty hands spazzing out wildly as she instinctively tried to grasp and clutch anything near her. Her fingers gripped the soft and cushy pillow by her side, and immediately Louise brought it tight against her form, squeezing onto it for dear life.

The knob jiggled fiercely as the person on the other side of the door struggled to enter the room, and Louise felt her heart leap to her throat as her blood pulsed incredibly and loudly, drowning out the natural silence of the room. "Mother..! Oh no..!" Louise wailed quietly. Did she know? She had to! Louise paled, and her eyes widened and looked around in a frenzy. There was no place to hide!

Finally, whoever was behind that knob unlocked its hinges and opened the door, creaking along the way. Louise squirmed and shook ever so slightly as she anticipated the arrival of the guest. A silver tray carrying a bowl slid into view, peeking from the door before a mop of dark brown hair came into view, and the person took a tentative step forward, her dress splaying along with the air as it flew against the girl's shins.

The girl looked around the room uncertainly and with a worrying step, but when her ocean blue eyes met Louise's, she smiled, albeit tersely and relaxed. Her efforts were a bit more courageous as she came into the room, setting the tray aside and closing the door behind her. Louise unknowingly released a deep sigh; it was only just a maid... holding a bowl of warm and steaming soup in her grasp.

Louise slumped in her bed, sliding down to a more comfortable level as she tossed aside the pillow in her grasp. The girl before Louise curtsied and picked up her tray, setting it down on Louise's lap. Louise took a glance at the pool of mixed spices and chunks of meat floating in the dark liquid and frowned dejectedly at the sight of herself. She... looked miserable.

The poor girl wiped the tears streaming down her face, hoping the maid did not realize she had been crying just a minute earlier.

Siesta, not paying attention to the girl's antics, introduced herself formally. "I've come to bring warm soup, Mistress. The water mages recommended that you eat it up heartily." The girl looked at Louise encouragingly as the Valliere stared at the bowl, her mind mulling around incoherently.

Still heartbroken, Louise tried to hide her menial depression as she composed herself and acknowledged the maid. "T-thank you, c-commoner." Though, her voice was broken, riddled with sadness. Siesta heard the silent hoarse splutter in Louise's voice, but she continued to stand with a graceful smile, without any indication of her judgment.

She took hold of the bowl of soup gratefully, nodding ever so slightly to the girl.

The bowl of soup looked absolutely delectable; the bits and pieces of meat buried and floating in the surface of the bowl were cooked and boiled to perfection. The tangy and creamy content of the beef was overwhelming as the meat still sizzled in the bowl. The spices put into the soup were healthy and enticing by a mere waft; the floating bits of vegetables littering the bowl were bright and colorful, perfectly preserved and boiled so that their juices still could be enjoyed and popped as they flowed.

Louise's sadness gradually faded to the back of her mind as her stomach reeled with an intense hunger; she hadn't eaten since last morning!

There was a moment of awkwardness between the two girls as the maid took a step back and clasped her fingers together in a lock awaiting further instruction. The noble student stared at her bowl of soup, and the maid stood right next to Louise's bed, glancing expectantly. Louise gingerly grabbed hold of the cutlery beside the bowl, a very ornate and detailed spoon-like silverware, her training in etiquette shining through as she dabbed it inside and blew lightly on the soup.

Steam blew into her face and her eyes stung at the burst of heat, but at last, after a few moments waiting for the bowl to cool, Louise lifted the cutlery and brought it to her lips.

Siesta, feeling tense by the strained silence, desired to initiate some small talk, and so she spoke the first thing that came to mind. "If I may ask... were you crying, mistress?" Louise doubled-back from the sudden and intrusive question. The audacity alone stunned the pinkette. Louise went to rebuttal the girl's preposterous accusation, but her hand still held onto her spoon, and when she faced the maid, the scoop crashed against her mouth. Louise choked back a gag as it poked the insides of her cheeks.

Louise parted her lips slightly; the soup was still so boiling! It was burning her tongue!

"Ah w-washn't cwy—" Louise suddenly gulped down the spoonful of soup. She shuddered, cringing in discomfort as she felt the liquid trail down her throat. "—crying!" Louise retorted adamantly, breathing and fanning her mouth. "It was just... just the light of the s-sun; it was b-burning my eyes!" Louise replied in a shrill tone.

Siesta picked up the small, seemingly innocuous lie quickly, not a bit surprised a noble would even try to lie at this point. However, what she was more surprised about was that the noble student not only acknowledged but even responded to her. Siesta gained a bit of confidence in her next words as she considered Louise's response, "Are you sure? It doesn't look like—"

"Yes! I am s-sure about it!" Louise cried out indignantly.

Siesta flinched at Louise's response, but she was satisfied if nothing else; it did answer her question... somewhat. Though she may not seem to understand, Siesta knew almost instinctively what young girls like her age would worry about, especially with all the gossip and experience she learned, thanks to the academy's staff.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me for my intrusion, Mistress." Siesta responded with a deep and apologetic bow.

Louise remained upright and haughty in her position as the other girl groveled down in front of her. The student was silent for a moment, but she decided to humor the maid's apology. "You are forgiven," a moment later. She sighed, glancing away.

There was another long period of silence between them as Louise returned to her meal, taking her time to enjoy each scoop of her breakfast. Almost half an hour passed before Louise finished the rest of her meal, and with the last spoonful, she drank the last bits of the sour and spicy water as she set down the spoon onto the bowl. Taking out her handkerchief Louise wiped and patted her cheeks.

"Thank you... for the meal." Louise handed the soup over to Siesta, turning to her. The maid nodded happily as she took the bowl. "U-um..." Louise fiddled with her words as she juggled her next line carefully, but seeing the maid quickly preparing for the door, she spluttered out her thoughts. "...did you recover me last night?" Louise asked with an uncertain, hopeful, and simultaneously melancholic tone.

It was at these words that Siesta became entirely confused as she reached for the tray. "U-um... I'm sorry?" Siesta rose her brows, concerned as she grasped other utensils.

"Well... isn't it you who came for me? You saved me last night, did you not?" Louise asked, also perplexed by the maid's confused stare. Louise wondered if Siesta wasn't the one to save her; she was curious. If not the maid, then who?

Siesta tried to find the safest choice of words to include in her question as she gauged Louise's reaction. "Well... excuse me for my assumptions, but don't you recall what happened last night?" She asked with a hopeful tone to her voice, encouraging Louise to think of a response. Louise only stared at her puzzled, shaking her head softly.

Siesta raised her brows. "You really don't remember?"

Again, only confused silence came from the student. "No—no, I don't?" Louise looked more lost by the minute; she shook her head lightly with a pained grimace.

Siesta wracked her brain as she tried to put together her thoughts about the events that unfolded the night before. "I believe it was a fellow, a blue friend of yer's?"

Louise turned to Siesta, shaking her head rapidly. "I don't have any—many friends." Louise caught herself. Siesta then decided to gouge Louise's memories back, "Spiky? Blue haired, almost restless?" She inquired.

"No, that cannot be so," Louise responded timidly, unsure, lost.

Siesta stared in disbelief.

The maid leaned slightly closer to Louise, clutching the bowl to her chest. "Verily? You seriously don't remember your fam—" Siesta gaped and froze, her words caught in her tongue. Siesta immediately understood the girl's issue. Louise forgot she had successfully summoned her familiar since last night.

"She doesn't know. She doesn't know, shedoesn'tknowshedoesn'tknow...!" The words in her head came to life in whispers. She paced around in place, hopping on her toes; she almost squealed with this newfound discovery.

Louise took notice of the maid's excitement and looked at her bewildered. "What's wrong... have you gone mad?!"

"No! No, mistress." Siesta did her best to hide her smile. "I-I just remembered something! That's all!" For the next few moments, Louise watched as the maid not-so-subtly pranced about to the door. "If you can excuse me for a moment, mistress, there's something that I must attend to." Louise stammered, in her words at the sudden and complete one-eighty of the maid girl's behavior. "U-uh... you... you may go." Louise waved her away half-heartedly, shoo.

Siesta bowed gratefully, her eyes slightly widened in glee, and her lips were stretched to a barely contained smile when she peered down Louise. Siesta twisted and turned around by her heels as she marched straight for the door and closed it, her dress flowing along jerkily with her movements.

Although she already gestured for her leave, Louise couldn't tear her sights away from the maid. Louise remained as she was, staring at the door looking dumbfounded as she unconsciously gripped the edge of her bedsheets, clenching her fingers. The girl descended upon her thoughts, and her eyes glazed, lips thinning in anxiety, blurred into the unpredictable future; her fate, her destiny.

Louise's imagination ran wild as she caught mere glimpses of her soon-to-be meaningless life. Its scenes breezed past her, the façade of happiness hiding the depression within, the expectations of her life. How would she explain everything to her mother? What would become of her? She imagined a hundred scenarios, and each worsened her despair. Her fears raged on; its turbulence scattered her mind.

Louise shook slightly, and she hung her head low in resignation, the fibers of her hair completely masking her face in the darkness.

---

Siesta turned to face the door while shutting it close, glancing slightly between the room and out to where the courtyard would be. Once she heard the little click of the knob signifying the metal block now holding the door in place, she nodded and made her way down the hallway, almost skipping on her heels as a broad and wide grin cheekily dotted her lips. As Siesta descended further down the heart of the corridors, sparse pockets of students began to populate the hallways, and every passing moment she was there, more joined little by little going about their morning.

The smile was still there, but her little prance dampened and then ceased altogether. The sincerity of her smile faded, but her expression remained only as a courtesy. The young girl nodded and bowed lightly to every young boy that came across her, a little too closely, and she weaved between groups whose wands flicked and gusts of wind would flip up her dress. They laughed boisterously as some missed, and she smiled tersely.

A flash of advice passed into her thoughts as she remembered some of the more "nuance" policies to follow within the academy. "Keep your head down. Don't look, and they wouldn't pursue further than that," Siesta whispered to herself, repeating the phrase that was passed down to every maid.

Finally, after a few more minutes of following a set and invisible path, she arrived at the Alviss Dining Hall. Despite the early morning hours, it began to get packed with students of all years. Their voices gradually began to drown out the hall's echoing silence, and the atmosphere became filled with their chatter and childish squabbles over the next most frivolous thing.

That was what bothered the girl about the mornings.

The peaceful quiet, the cherished silence of her colleagues working diligently, focused on their craft that demanded absolute attention. Such little noise would abruptly end as the students shattered the serenity with their voices alone.

Siesta didn't mind the noise and the chatter of her fellow maids and servants. She was used to their blabbering tongues, but there was an unspoken rule between the staff members within their conversations. That being, they should be gathered out-of-sight and out-of-mind of everyone else. Compared to the nobles attending the school, specifically the young generation of growing mages, nothing was like this. Co-workers were pleasant, joyous, and honest... while the students were so... haughty and indignant. If only there were words that can honestly describe the layered frustration within the academy's servants.

Siesta swiftly scurried down the dining hall and passed through the "Staff Only" double doors. She breathed softly and took a long drag of air, a little strenuously because of her short run, but she quickly recovered from the momentary lapse, blinking to take in the surroundings and smiled gleefully. All-around, her fellow colleagues and friends scampered across the large and grand kitchen of the academy. Each person was immersed in their field as they worked to utter perfection and rigidity.

Their movements were sharp but not robotic. Swift, but controlled with great pride. The closest to the girl glanced at her with a slight turn of their head. Scattered hints of liveliness laced their eyes; they smiled genuine smiles and greeted the girl with a wave and small cheer before resuming their work. Siesta returned the greeting reconnecting with her peers as she observed and studied the place, looking around with hyper focus.

There was somebody she needed to see. But first...

"Good morning, everyone!" Siesta cried out, and the staff momentarily paused and returned her greeting.

"Morning, Siesta!"

"Good morning!"

"Morning!"

As Siesta made her way over to her destination, turning to and nodding around, she quickly picked out the dish cleaning department members, just about preparing to finish the morning duty. Unfortunately, today was one of the days where the grumpiest of personnel had their shift for the day, but Siesta had a trick up her sleeve to disarm the frustration that would soon point to her.

"Excuse me—" Siesta cheekily slid the bowl into the pile of dirty dishes. The irate dish cleaner had little time to react to the greeting as the girl immediately pat his back reassuringly and sped off. "Thank you!" The maid weaved through the dense and thick crowd and disappeared into the roving bodies. The irate dish cleaner grumbled under his breath but shook off his annoyance, grabbing ahold of the dish. "At least this one actually finished their meal." He commented, glancing pointedly at the bowl. Empty, for once.

Siesta glanced around her as she left the station and made her way down to the kitchen's main lobby. She just about had to stand on her toes to look above the tall crowd. 'Now, where could he be?' Siesta wondered, but she didn't have to wait long. As soon as she landed on her heels, she found the person she was looking for. There she found the head chef, Marteau, a tall and burly man whose broad forearms looked like they could break bones. He was wiping his wet hands with a towel after washing them, and he stood tall and firm, shouting orders rambunctiously to everyone near and around him.

"Good morning, head chef!" Siesta enthusiastically greeted.

"Are you kidding me?! Maybe I'm blind because I don't see! ANY! SAUCE! Git to it, gomeril!" The head chef yelled once more before turning to the voice that greeted him, and a great smile dotted his cheeks. "Ah, Siesta! Good to see 'yer in high spirits! It's been so long since ya last visited, my dear! What brings you? Oh, and good morning to you as well."

"I just came to drop off some dirty dishware, head chef."

"Ah, no need for formalities, dear Siesta. We're all friends here!" He chimed in.

Siesta continued. "I was here earlier to bring some soup for one of the mistresses, noble Valliere. She was sent to the nursery last night due to a... sudden ailment. One of the mages told me to bring some food for her in the morning, remember?"

"I see! Ya, I remember now. Speaking of food, that also reminds me! We need to prepare the meals for the familiars! We're gettin' a new bunch of them fellas to feed today, ain't we?" Marteau draped the towel on one of his arms, turning to the bustling kitchen around him, and raised his voice for everyone to hear. Siesta hummed as she contemplated his words. "We need supplies from the fifth tower! Anyone volunteerin' to get ingredients for the familiars?"

Some staff paused at their work and turned to the head chef, looking at each other uncertainly. Their stations required double the care and attention today chiefly; there were not many openings. There was a brief silence as they contemplated which of them would go.

Marteau looked between all of them, expectantly. He crossed his arms, "Well?"

Seeing as no one was willing to go, an idea popped up in the maid's head. Siesta shot her hand up and spoke. "I'll do it!" This was the perfect opportunity for her! She could use that to help find the noble's familiar.

Marteau glanced at Siesta for a moment; brow raised blankly before slapping his hands together. "Excellent! But are you sure, Siesta? The things we need aren't exactly lightweight or easy to carry." He poised in concern as he glanced down at the girl.

Again, Siesta stood her ground and waved away the head chef's concern. "If I can't carry everything, I can use the wheel barrel inside the fifth tower."

The head chef hesitated momentarily. Siesta grimaced a little, noticing and expecting that Marteau was considering choosing someone else to take up the task. His brows raised and dropped, and he hummed softly as he considered her while looking around.

He sighed with a resigned shrug turning to the maid, "Well, if you're so sure, go for it." Marteau shifted in his steps and turned to the rest of the staff members. "As for the rest of you lot, you should be ashamed that a little girl has to go and do hard manual labor!" His peers cringed as his sights were set on them, his remark and pointed look holding back a harsh bite.

Afterward, Siesta and Marteau went over a list of items that the maid had to bring over. The man plucked it from his breast pocket and flicked the paper open as he guided the girl over the ingredients and priority spices. It was rather long, but considering the size and various creatures one student could tame from the wild, it was necessary. Once they were done, Siesta made her departure and left the kitchen, intentionally and subtly speeding her pace as the student body came into view; she lightly held the reins of the ridges of her dress as she ran away into the entrance doorways.

Siesta came across some of her peers, other maids nearing the double doors, each carrying a load with hands occupied. She stopped momentarily to hold the doors open wide enough for a group to pass through, and they nodded in appreciation as the women slipped through. Siesta joined them and skipped down the short and small steps, hopping off the last as she separated from the group. Instead of going the intendedly shortest route to the fifth tower, she took a detour to the courtyard where she guessed the familiars would first socialize.

The girl's speed increased as she made her way to the green clearing; her grip on the ridges of her dress tightened and raised higher the longer she went. Her hair blew wildly in the cold morning wind. She almost had to readjust her lace headpiece as it fluttered along. The maid's thoughts were passing with such dubious content, she flushed slightly and giggled mischievously, darkening her reddened and rosy cheeks. The prospect of her little mission enraptured the maid. She excitedly daydreamed, gossiping along with her maiden friends late at night.

The shining rays of sunlight peering down on the girl disappeared entirely as the maid scampered underneath the academy's bridges' walkways, connecting the towers to the central spire. Students and servants alike hobbled around the large and lengthy space, and Siesta greeted some as she quickly passed through, her pace picking up considerably as before.

She arrived at the courtyard, where patches of the grass were leveled and dedicated to the familiars' recreational activities. The maid slowed in her steps and walked about casually. The place was luckily still sparsely populated with students out and about, tending to their familiars. Siesta clasped her hands together, suddenly feeling a bout of self-consciousness. Was this worth their ire? Siesta shook her head lightly. She brought a hand up and held it over her eyes, shielding herself from the bright rays of the sun. Siesta looked around, hoping to find a group of the familiars. As luck would have it, she didn't have to look very far. On the edge of the wall of the central spire's visibility, a group of unusual creatures was all huddled together in one spot, right in the center of the flower bed, closest to the next walkway.

Siesta smiled as she hummed a tune on her way to the flower bed; the mass of bodies blocked whatever the familiars were crowding around, but the girl had a feeling she knew "what", or instead "who", they were inspecting. Just as she approached the group and neared what they were looking at, the huddled bodies suddenly separated from another and retreated a foot back. Before the maid could register the figure, a blue blur passed by her, the air thickening and dampening in noise.

The blue blur sped around the group, with a deep blue trail following behind. It reared back where it started with an inhumanly sharp turn as a cloud of dust rocked from the floor and followed behind, boosting its way up the central tower as a silent burst of wind exploded right when it touched and ran across its cylindrical walls. The maid yelped, clutching her dress as it fluttered wildly with the explosion of wind, while the familiars nearby were thrown off their feet, shrieking and crying in shock.

Unbeknownst to the girl who quickly went to tidy her state of appearance, the group of familiars caught their footing and shook off the tremors rolling about in their bodies. The familiar's grumbled underneath their breath as they turned to face the wall watching the blue blur run along the wall leading up to the top of the central tower. They looked upon with awe mouths gaping.

The familiars made their way to the wall where the deep blue trail faded away, and the wild, fantastical creatures and monsters alike pried their claws, wings, or other appendages at the wall looking up above; almost like a dog scratching for attention.

Meanwhile, Siesta was finishing the rest of her touchups, only minor things like putting her laced hairpiece back on, dusting off the dirt that spotted her dress and apron, and straightening her dress. The maid looked around her, done with the last wrinkle flattened out. Her cheeks reddened, and she squeezed her arms closer in an attempt to look modest, just to shake off the feeling of exposure, making sure no one saw her amid such an embarrassing scene. After assuring herself that no one was able to witness such an impossibly dreadful state of wear, it was only then that Siesta realized the familiars were crowding along the wall.

She turned to the central tower and found all the familiars all patting their paws, claws, and wings at the wall. The maid then noticed that they were all looking up the tower; following their trace of sight, she trailed her eyes to the building's top. The girl couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. She immediately went to cup her lips to quiet herself.

Right at the roof of the Headmaster's office was that blue creature from last night glancing down far below at the earth, undoubtedly the Mistress's familiar. Siesta gawked at the height at which the animal found itself and the supernatural speed of this particular familiar. He was so fast, and she hardly saw a thing! Siesta took a few steps back, shaking her head astounded and incredulous at this discovery.

How was she supposed to contact him then?

As Siesta contemplated what to do, feeling miffed as her options to get the familiar was waning with every passing moment, the crunch of grass persisted and increased in clarity behind the girl.

The maid turned around feeling dejected and upset with her moment, her chance to speak with the familiar passing by. Siesta nearly flinched as she looked up and blinked, letting out an "eep!" and she stumbled backward, almost losing her footing and falling on her rear. The maid steadied herself as she sighed in relief, though as she looked up, she came face-to-face with a noble student holding a staff that was taller than themselves; they looked between her and the familiars scratching at the wall and staring into the sky.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry for my faltering, Mistress! I-I thought I was alone here." Siesta blushed in embarrassment, breathing softly. The maid unconsciously grasped her chest, her hand gripping the fabric of her clothing in an attempt to calm and settle her raging heart.

The student paid no mind to the maid's startled reaction and attempt at excusing her behavior; however, in the back of her mind, she just simply wasn't up to a conversation at the moment. She walked up next to the maid, glancing at the spire where the familiars stared with a raised brow.

"Your duties, maid?" The girl asked, turning back to Siesta. Her voice was monotone, and yet it carried a certain... weight behind it. The noble girl gestured to the crowd of familiars.

"U-um, I was just passing by on an escort for Mistress Valliere when I found these familiars crowding around like this. I thought it was odd how they behaved strangely today, so I departed from my duties to check up on them and mayhaps understand. As I came to the group, suddenly, a strong gust of wind came and tore through us within the blink of an eye. It almost knocked me off my feet!" Siesta was excited as she was breathless, recalling the strange creature's strong winds and incredible speeds she only had a taste of beholding to.

The blue-haired student blinked as the maid turned back to her, and she glanced down at the floor, closing her eyes. The noble's head turned to face the maid, and the student nodded, her hand gesturing expectantly, silently encouraging the maid to go on.

Siesta subtly turned her head aside as she brushed a loose strand of hair back. "...Truth be told, Mistress, I'm not exactly sure of the cause of their behaviors or the strong wind, but I have a feeling it was the familiar of Mistress Valliere." She shrugged, pointing to the peak of the tower. "He's up there. I think the other familiar's bothered him. I am not certain, however." Siesta sighed, slightly crestfallen.

When Siesta turned to look back at the student, she was alarmed at the intensity in which the noble's icy blue eyes pierced her.

"Verily?" The blue-haired girl asked with a slight pitch in her voice. Her brows lowered slightly; she seemed unsettled by the tone of her words.

"Verily so. It's incredible, isn't it? A true miracle! Mistress Valliere summoned one! Well... unfortunately, it's up there at the moment. Mistress Valliere sent me to request for its presence, but as you can see, I cannot." She patted her sides to reaffirm her statement.

The student glanced up the tower, and faintly could see a deep blue against the rosy sky. Despite the maid's pleading voice and her receptive voice, she picked up on her physical cues. The maid girl was hiding more than she let on, but for the most part, she was truthful of the incident, just not her alibi's...

As the student made her way to the tower, assuring that none would listen in, she whispered to herself, "Sylphid... awaken." Her pupils brightened ever so slightly.

---

Sonic regarded the hulking towering mass of scales before him with incredulity as he stood on top of the dome of the academy, his brows raised in awe. A few paces away before the blue hedgehog, laying still except for the rising of the creature's chest, was a sleeping dragon; a very blue and very massive sleeping dragon.

Sonic nearly gagged as he regarded its breath. He had to hold back a bit of bile. The dragon smelled of meat, raw decaying flesh... and flowers. Its wings were draped by its side lazily as one hung off the edge of the dome they stood on. In the sun, the wings appeared transparent, and he could see veins trailing all across the fleshy wings.

A bead of sweat trailed down his scalp as he looked up the size of the monster; on second thought, staying with those creatures down below didn't seem so dangerous.

The blue hedgehog half-turned from the beast and scooted back ever so quietly, now suddenly conscious about the squeakiness of his red sneakers. However, in keeping a close eye on the gigantic predator before himself, Sonic failed to account for the little leg room there was to walk around the dome of the central spire. A hard push of his leg scraping by the edge of the rotunda, and he yelped quietly as he slid off the edge of the dome.

Upon reflex, Sonic cartwheeled in the air. He whipped out an arm to grip the ledge of the dome, and as his fingers caught on a handle as he spun around, he swung into the wall. The hedgehog pulled his legs up. He tucked them against his chest, and as his feet slammed into the stone, he rebounded off the wall. The force applied shot Sonic back up, and the blue blur curled into a ball, transforming that momentum to help him back onto the platform. He thanked his speed that he hadn't just plummeted stupidly to the ground. Sonic unfurled himself as he landed onto the hollow dome, gripping so tightly on its finish his fingers squeaked against the roof's smooth surface.

The blue hedgehog winced as the loud squealing of materials railed against his ears; they flattened and curled on the back of his head.

Oh, bother.

Immediately as his soles touched the platform on the edge of the dome, the dragon's one eye facing Sonic shot open violently. The wide slits of the gigantic reptilian's eyes looked around momentarily as its sight adjusted to the bright morning sun, but as soon as it laid its eyes on the big blue blot standing a few feet before the majestic beast, it thinned to a sharp black line. The creature rose from its slumber, the dormant still limbs flaring to life as it pushed the animal even further up in height until it completely blotted the sun and cast Sonic in a deep and dark shadow.

Sonic smiled lopsidedly as it peered down onto him, its snout an inch away from Sonic's black button nose. He waved sheepishly; the dragon retracted its neck and roared, the volume and depths of its throat echoing throughout the academy.

Sonic wasted no time and threw himself off the roof, hurtling down the tower.

It certainly wasn't the best on-the-spot decisions of his life, but if nothing else, at least he put distance between himself and the towering hungry-looking monstrosity. Sadly, that optimism wouldn't be reciprocated so quickly by the beast as it rocketed from the dome, disturbing a cloud of dust as it flew down to the blue hedgehog. Twirling around amidst his free fall, Sonic caught a glimpse of the dragon, making a beeline towards him, roaring as it guided its long neck toward the hedgehog. A slight look of surprise fell onto Sonic's face as he absorbed the amount of determination the dragon had tailing after the hedgehog without any hesitance.

A plan quickly appeared in his mind. With the amount of time he had before hitting the ground, he only had one shot without missing a chance to blow. Sonic spread out his limbs and guided himself towards the tower.

The plan was simple. Once he closed in on the wall, he would run along the stone and bounce himself off the side of the building. He'd spin himself into a ball, blasting away from the dragon as soon as he landed on the earth. With this sequence set in stone, Sonic prepared to execute his plan, but rather... instead of guiding himself like he intended, his body smacked against the tower.

The blue dragon shuddered, manipulating its perception of time. Every speck of rubble that sprayed from the blue creature's rebound against the tower hovered carefully in the air. The hedgehog appeared frazzled, his head facing towards the flowerbed underneath. The dragon hummed at the predicament of this would-be familiar.

How did that blue thing get up to the roof? Was the blue thing not scared of the scary face of the dragon? Was the blue thing not scared of its scales? Everyone the dragon met would run away because it was dangerous, so why was this animal not scared? The blue whatever waved, at least before the roar... and threw itself off the roof. The dragon whined childishly, disgruntled for losing the chance to make a new friend.

Maybe it was a bad idea to scare off the blue thing.

The more the dragon thought, the more it hated thinking; in the irony of its thinking, its eyes glowed momentarily.

New mission!

Tunneling its sight onto Sonic, the dragon folded its wings and dived like an arrowhead, initiating an awkward cascading spiral between itself and the blue blur. The two of them slowly spun around each other, their bodies approaching ever so close. Right as their heads leveled, the dragon faced Sonic; upon a glance, something struck. It never had a keen sense of its emotions, the dragon merely acted on them on a whim, but it had experienced a sort of curiosity towards the hedgehog. There was no click of magic emanating within him, yet a strange feeling permeated nonetheless.

The dragon had a brewing curiosity. This animal was... different, interesting. The dragon then felt something that it hadn't felt in a long time... excitement!

Sonic yelped as he felt his rear bump into a tough layer of scales, and he glanced down at the dragon in astonishment.

If it were possible in its current form, a lopsided grin would've crept up onto the dragon's face.

---

Siesta took a few hesitant and heavy steps back, as she could only watch in trepidation the careening familiars. She barely withheld a gasp; her hands, which had rested in the bosom of her developed chest, jerked away from their rest and covered her lips in anguish. Both the maid and student could all but watch helplessly as the shade of the dragon shrunk and—!

Siesta suddenly screamed, her voice muffled within her hands as she spun around, shutting her eyes tightly; her hands fuddled jerkily, uncertain between covering her lips or clamping down on her ears. The student remained unfazed and stiff, trailing along with the fall with a hyper-focused precision.

A plume of dust spewed into the air and crashed down, spilling and spewing forth the burst of wind. The sudden gushing air pushed against the pair, and their clothes flung against their bodies, their dresses wrinkling along with the wind.

Gradually, the gale calmed as their wildly spindly clothing died down, hanging loosely with the air.

Minutes passed as the dust remained thick. Siesta shook uncomfortably, emotionally wrought; she couldn't bear to bring herself to turn around. Her body was frozen in shock; that awfully imaginative mind ran wild, portraying the most horrible outcomes of the crash that just made her sick. Siesta barely managed to cusp her hands together amidst her shellshock and not faint. The girl beside her glanced up with an inexpressive look.

"Sylphid..." The student spoke up suddenly, breaking the silence with a whisper. A low disgruntled whine emanated from within the dust, disappointed.

A moment later, two blue wings expanded and rose above the cloud of dust, and in one fell swoop, the wings flapped, clearing away the smokescreen. Siesta tentatively turned around, glancing with a fearful squint. The student beside her tapped her long staff once on the grassy plains, and the dragon quickly stood upright, raising its back and lowered its wings, right then revealing Sonic sitting atop its back. The hedgehog in question grappled onto the dragon.

The dragon hunched over and stretched its wing across the ground, letting the extra limb rest naturally with the weight of gravity. Sonic turned to the dragon quizzically. The large reptilian-beast glanced behind itself before nudging its head towards its wing encouragingly. Sonic took this as his cue to dip as he glanced between the dragon and its wing. He eagerly slid down the improv-slide and tumbled off onto the ground.

The blue dragon leaned down as it felt the weight on its back lighten, and it turned to look at Sonic with a sudden fixation on him. The blue blur was busy wiping dust off himself until he noticed the dragon peering all around him with its long and elastic neck. Sonic leaned back, smiling uncomfortably as the dragon aggressively closed in on his face, studying his eyes.

He blinked carefully.

The dragon blinked, slowly and methodically. There suddenly appeared two eyelids. A solid skin layer retracting from its pupils, and another, thinner and almost transparent eyelid glided against the surface of its eyes. It slid down into the folds of its skin.

Sonic cringed, grimacing at the uncanny sight.

A whistle blew from its nose suddenly, and it stood up on high alert. Yet, a moment later, the incredible beast perched itself onto its hind legs, arching its back happily and content for a moment before settling down to the earth as the mysterious noble girl came upon the majestic creature and massaged its sides, scratching at its nape. The girl stopped momentarily, her hand pausing when she turned around slightly; both Sonic's and her eyes clashed against another.

For a stilled moment, the pair simply stared at each other, neither moving an inch save the soft and still escapes of their breath. A cold sweat threatened to fall from Sonic's face; the girl's piercing eyes somehow felt incredibly... violating? Perhaps because they were a sharp cloudy blue? Sonic had no clue, but this girl... she gave a strange gaze. A detached coldness in her eyes was all that he could really see.

Sonic grimaced slightly as he was the first to tear from the staring contest. Siesta meanwhile had recovered her senses and calmed her frightened and raging heart, and she decried her decorum. Her uniform was covered in so much dirt; it had to be at least an entire layer caked onto her dress. She cautiously dragged her finger across her shoulder, frowning as she stared at the accumulation of dirt on her nail. Though she may be a maid, clothing was not as sparse as it would be in the capital, at least with commoners. The staff would only have one or two sets of clothes lined with their work, so members were careful to maintain their shirts, pants, and dresses alike.

The maid pat her hands together to wipe the filth away and came upon the blue trio, but as she looked between the three, her brows scrunched together in concern. Suddenly, as earlier that morning, Sonic had attracted himself a crowd of very curiously-awed familiars. Creatures of all kinds swarmed him and invaded his space as they sniffed every inch of his fur, even clawing at his shoes.

Sonic angrily decried the dirtying of his unique red sneakers and tried in vain to shoo away the various monsters crowding around him. The crowd pushed Sonic out of the way from the two girls.

Siesta held a hand over her mouth as she giggled softly at the scene. That was so cute!

Siesta turned around to face the noble girl and bowed along with a curtsy, "Thank you for your help, mistress..? Mistress?" The maid lifted her head and found that the odd girl had already left. "Hm—uh, where'd she go?" As much as she wanted to figure out where the two went, Siesta had little time to ponder how the girl and her large dragon could escape her sights so quickly. The crowd of familiars behind her started to act up and get rowdy.

Huffing as she pulled her sleeves back to her elbows, Siesta disregarded her thoughts and went fishing Sonic out. Jumping into the fray and maneuvering through the smallest gaps between one familiar after another, Siesta reached down and grabbed hold of Sonic, clutching him between his arms and lifting him in the air like a little kid. She steadied her footing amid the bustling crowd and used her chance to take a good look at the hedgehog. She immediately noticed the bandage around Sonic's head loosening, stained with dirt and blood seeping into the threads of wrapping. Her lips thinned in disappointment, glaring at him, annoyed.

Before she could further inspect him, the familiars shoved her legs around, pushing her with the idea that she would drop the curious blue blur. This only resulted in Siesta setting Sonic on a motherly hold. She then waved her free hand like a brush, shooing away the bodies of animals surrounding her. Some backed off while others were aggressively determined. Unfortunately, these mystical beings were persistent in fulfilling their goal, so Siesta had to struggle her way along to the academy's entrance begrudgingly. To her embarrassment, she had to waddle her way back. The familiars were too close! She might trample on them. To the astonishment of her peers glancing her way, they saw a poor maid leading an encircled mass of familiars gradually to the bridge, and they momentarily paused in their chores while staring bemusedly.

Nearing the walkways that connected the pillars to the academy's central tower, Sonic's eyes widened as he quickly deduced where she was leading him. The familiars followed her even as far as the top of the steps that led to the double doors, though that was as much ground they were able to cover. Once Siesta took hold of the doorknob, she opened the door and slammed it close as soon as she and Sonic slid their way inside.

Siesta laid her back against the door, heaving a sigh of relief from escaping the chaos that awaited them outside. Siesta glanced at Sonic, finding him looking up at her expectantly. She chuckled, "Now we have some peace here." Siesta pushed herself off the rickety and low drumming wooden doors behind her; a moment later, she looked between Sonic and faintly to the academy's walls, her eyes gazing beyond the walls.

Standing up straight as she carried herself by her soles, the girl dusted her hands and took a few paces forward, plopping Sonic back on the ground. The hedgehog smiled sheepishly in thanks, but his silent and timid thanks were ignored shortly after that. Siesta slid her fingers between the cuffs of the hedgehog's gloves, sneakily trailing her thin and nimble digits onto Sonic's palm and clamped down, firm. Siesta turned to Sonic as he recoiled from the sudden feel, glancing quizzically. Grasping Sonic's hand, she gently pulled as she pranced forward with a lightness to her step, guiding him along with her. She smiled encouragingly as she turned back, "Come on, mister familiar, your master awaits." Sonic stared at her with wide eyes, his brows raised in surprise. Siesta merely grinned at his response, and with that, she tugged him along more confidently.

Absentmindedly, as the two sunk more in-depth into the canvas's of the academy's halls, Sonic's hesitant and deliberately slow steps gradually receded as he glanced along the narrowing corridors with a sense of familiarity. Almost subtly, the charge towards Louise's room by the maid shifted, and Sonic led the walk as he gradually increased his pace, overtaking Siesta.

---

The room had darkened somewhat, considerably as the minutes passed, and at the moment, it was encased in a depth of shadows. A passing thicket of clouds covered the sun which had been shining down at the room; the room was clad in an azure hue, and it only intensified the pale and ghoulish look of its sole occupant.

A lone girl, Louise, absentmindedly plucked the flower pot from her bed stand; her fingers coiled around the pot shakily, stiff with trepidation, and she graciously rested it upon her lap. Louise's eyes were downcast, shadowed in the darkness of her hair, its stems illuminated in a cascading sheen of magenta, its night hung underneath her eyes, and her skin appeared blue. Her tears had long since subsided, faded away to the murky greyness of her woe. Her breath barely escaped her; only the faint rise of her chest was all that moved in the stillness of her body. The mournful girl moaned in a pain that afflicted the depths of all her soul; there was a grief in this girl's heart, enraptured and exposed in the crevices of her large and pink iris's, grief that didn't belong.

Her desolation was so intense, all that remained in this girl was a suffocating languor. Louise was hunched and curled above her sheets as she stared. Her eyes appeared to look intensely to the cloth, but they were glossy and void of any self-consciousness. In her sadness, she glided her dainty little fingers along with the blades of the flowers. The silky smooth surface of their blades was soothing, but it did little to reshape her benumbed heart.

While waiting unsurely of the maid, the girl was visited by the water mages that treated her the night prior. In the murky depths of her spiraling mind, she vaguely recalled that they were addressing her state, asking standard questions for sickly patients. Absentmindedly she nodded along with their short survey about her appearances, perhaps her state of mind or her body, she presumed. The girl wasn't sure exactly; her mind was skewed and harrowed by the wonders of her dream. Louise sighed stoically, upset that as the day went, the memories of her dream faded along with it too. Depending on their tone of voice, she nodded to their checkups, or if the mood was aggressive and worrying, she shook her head. Then, she found herself alone again, and she felt... placid, accepting.

Louise blinked as she heard her breath escaping from her lips, and she glanced down to her chest. A hand rose to pat her stomach and held onto her chest. The girl sighed tentatively, gulping. She felt along her chest and held her hand for a moment every so often, but she couldn't feel the beat of her heart. She glanced down to the flowers as her eyes caught a stream of light shining on some of its plumes, the fruit of all her efforts in this academy. All her pain, her toils, the endless hours of grief that this tortuous academy threw at her, her tears for fear laying down at her lap; her most significant accomplishment, and the burden of her family, was a pot of flowers.

No medal of outstanding performance in the academy, or admiration from her peers, or even friendships. Just a sad and small pot of flowers... for all that it was worth.

A goodbye gift.

The folds of her eyes narrowed, her lips parted, trembling slightly in an overwhelming cascading feeling. It couldn't be explained. She didn't feel hot with anger or cold with sorrow, but tears threatened to spill for the umpteenth time that morning. They collected at the corners of her eyes and enlarged ever so much. Her skin crawled, bursting in this purgatory, this flush of stinging.

Her body was aflush with the creeps and the uncomfortable thinly stinging sensation of needles, and there—

!

—was the sound of the doorknob clicking.

The door creaked slightly, and Louise could almost feel a weight that wasn't there. A few moments passed before the knob was twisted suddenly and was pushed open, weakly gliding along with the flush of wind from her window till it stopped, creaking along slightly to the sides a third of the way free.

Louise turned to face the doorway sharply, her chest stopping still. The blue apathy that rung her a few moments prior stilled, hammering her mind with a low and annoying hum as it slithered back into the corners of her mind. The noble student watched owlishly as she waited, weakly gliding her fingers along her loose strands of hair. A few moments passed, but nothing came through, and though Louise tried to lean aside to get a better view, she saw nothing. Louise felt the rush of blood spewing into her head, and she grimaced slightly as she could almost hear it through her ears, hammering down her skull; she was thrown and wrought with anticipation... and worry.

Was this the maid's doing? Louise almost wished it were the case, but she felt it were not true. Her ghoulish and pale cheeks suddenly flushed a rosy pink, almost coating her face in its searing flush. Why were they torturing her like this?! Louise shivered slightly, her skin drowning in a burning heat and laced with a chill. Instinctively the poor girl gulped, her fingers dug into the folds of her sheets, and she gripped with all her life; her knuckles appeared white and damp with the faint pores of sweat glinting in the light. 'Please...' the girl pleaded once, her mind was reeling as she fell into a cold sweat; her eyes appeared sunken and wet, damp with fearful tears. She could barely see beyond the tails of light pouring into her room. Louise hiccuped, her body wracked with fear.

Her eyes were shut tight, but a moment later, she heard footsteps, not orderly, strong, and disciplined steps, but cautious and lightfooted. The flooring's wood creaked horribly in the next step, and instinctively she clutched that little pot as she scooted away until her back depressed against the headboard. Louise pressed those flowers against her with all her strength, holding on to the small comfort it gave as she prepared for the worst.

The girl sniffled quietly as she breathed heavily from her lips, her voice breaking through in low howls, no longer able to hold herself. At that moment, the girl didn't care how she looked or appeared; she was broken and terrified. There was no recuse, no friend to comfort her, nothing for her to cry on, nothing to hold. Louise felt her tears spill down her cheeks as she tried desperately to hold on to that brave front.

It was then... the girl froze when she felt a soft and comforting cloth wipe away the tears of one of her eyes.

Louise turned slightly away, puffing her cheeks up as she blinked, blinking rapidly as the burning tears were too great to endure. She looked aside, desperately gulping down some hiccups as her chest rocketed nonetheless. She wiped her tears, smearing her palms wet to clean up her ugly face. Louise then tentatively turned to face her guest, keeping one eye shut.

...and once more, she found her very breath stolen from the sight before her.

Louise's eyes rose along with her brows as a line of dots all connected within her mind. She stood still, and a gasp, so quiet, stuttering so full of life, sprung from the depth of her throat and escaped her lips. The girl started shuddering as she stared at him...

Her familiar!

The girl's eyes shook uncertainly, her lips quivering up and down in place, strengthening with every other passing moment amazed and overcome; she felt almost overwhelmed with awe. This flurry of feelings enveloped the girl. Louise was blinking slowly but steadily, staring straight at the sight of her familiar, taking everything in. The bed-ridden noble was reduced to a convulsing mess as she blinked incredulously, her heart rose and swelled ferociously beating so loudly she swore it was trying to tear from her chest. She shook her head slightly as she clutched at her bosom, entirely in disbelief with wide and starry eyes. Her tears she so carefully held back and wiped away spilled against her cheeks once more.

Her webs of suffering, of self-loathing and apathy, her prison she had once resigned to be devoured was washed away in the bask of awe; everything crashed down on the girl, her violent and impassioned emotions stormed madly. The hollow flickers of life that once plastered itself in her face faded away; her natural peach skin returned, reddened with a fervor.

Louise's tears trailed and dripped from her face crashing against the surface of the bed. Some were caught in the flowers' spindly blades and trailed down in a teardrop down to its root, where it sunk into the dirt and disappeared. Louise and Sonic's eyes were caught together, and they were both frozen in a trance. While Louise absentmindedly stared, Sonic took a good long look at Louise, finally observing the strange girl he met the night prior in the bask of light.

Bashfully he scratched at his quills, ruffling them up. He awkwardly grinned, unused to tempering his long and wild smirks and smiles as he was utterly lost at what to do next. Sonic had no expectations except to study the strange girl, but when he found her, he just waited patiently, wanting to let her cry freely; for however long she needed to, he understood. It brought back... sad memories of the first few weeks he and Tails stuck together through thick and thin. Louise loosened her iron grip on her sheets and pealed them off, and unconsciously she reached out for him. She was within reach of his black button nose, and she pushed against it inquisitively. Sonic paused and leaned back slightly when she flicked his nose, albeit weakly.

Suddenly the girl looked between Sonic and the bed's flooring sharply with a renewed energy, finding her breath; her mind clicked. Still lost in awe, her tears only intensified; the trails down her cheeks thickened with joyful tears. Like a flash of lightning, Louise grabbed at the sheets of her bed, flailing and desperately trying to tear the covers off herself. Sonic stood back in alarm as he watched the girl scramble to get herself off her bed, and her face reddened in a flurry of exasperation and frustration before she flung the sheets off her and leaned by the side of her bed. However, in her haste to free herself of her bed-ridden state, her foot got caught in a particularly deep wrinkle, and she yelped as she slid off to the side of the bed.

Sonic internally panicked as he saw Louise about to crash into the ground, her eyes widened in panic, and her lips were apart, silently gasping. Like the wind, Sonic immediately came by her side as he grasped onto Louise's petite form and spun her around and up from the ground, bridal style, as their eyes made contact.

Instinctively, Louise wrapped her hands around Sonic and pressed against him in a tight hug, her nails digging into his fur. Her heart rung irregularly fast as she breathed heavily, recovering from her terror. As Louise grasped her chest and evened her breathing, their eyes locked onto another for a brief moment, unwavering eyes awed and shimmering. Louise's breathing gradually quieted, and her gasps continued to steady as she heaved from her lips. Louise glanced down to herself; her lips were still parted; tears still pooled down her cheeks, and a faint glimmer of wet tears could be seen as light shined down on her. Immediately, both flustered and reflexively, she tore herself from Sonic, taking a few paces back.

The window beside the girl gradually rescinded the passing clouds' darkness as more streams of light poured down, illuminating the grassy plains. Sonic looked up to her, wincing as sunlight got caught in his vision. Halfheartedly he held a hand over his eyes, confused by the sudden erratic change in behavior. Sonic tentatively went to reach for the girl only to stop, noticing how she watched him with wide stunning eyes.

Those eyes... that look on her brought him back to last night. Louise had backed up until her waist pressed against her bed, squeezing down on it as her fingers glided and lightly dragged on its surface. The girl leaned back onto the bed slightly, peering down at Sonic with an indescribable look upon her; her eyes were continually blinking. The girl's lips opened and closed several times, her voice caught in her throat, and her brows shifted, never settling in one motion for a moment. Louise shook her head slightly, still in disbelief, and she breathed deeply, closing her eyes with a soft and dim smile. Louise was overcome with an impassioned merry joy that she could barely contain her quaking lips as they unfurled across her face. The girl rose in a fit of heaving laughter, her eyes wet with tears of joy, and her lips were complete with a beautiful smile. Louise practically hopped from her bed, skipping on her toes before she came upon Sonic, arms wide and outstretched to envelop him entirely.

With such surprising speed coming from the girl, nevermind her quick change in mood, Sonic barely had time to react—! Sonic froze in shock, eyes wide in alarm as his throat squeaked once she came upon him, not only squeezing him tight against her chest but also tearing him off the floor! The girl cloaked and snuggled the hedgehog almost wholly in her arms. Louise rocked Sonic side-to-side as she felt and patted along his fur like one would for a cat. Louise was almost entirely consumed in her merriment as she held him in her arms. She giggled for a moment as she suddenly pulled away from Sonic and gazed into his confused and bewildered eyes.

Louise's smile only deepened as her eyes slit closer together in joyous bliss. Louise practically squealed as she heard her familiar hum softly before she broke out in festive cheers and laughter as she leaped to her toes and bounced and danced and spun them around in the room with genuine, blinding joy. "You're real! You're real! You're real! It's not a dream; it's not a dream! You're my familiar! My guardian angel, you're my angel!" She cheered and cried impassioned with such euphoria, enraptured with such joy in her heart.

Louise danced around the room, spinning Sonic around in her arms as she dug herself and snuggled her face as deep as she could into his fuzzy fur and quills. The girl was suddenly overwhelmed and overcome with hiccups, and her breaths were labored and short as she cried. Tears streamed down Louise's cheeks, this time not of pain or grief, but pure, undiluted joy; genuine euphoria within the bottom of all her heart and soul! She successfully did a spell! She summoned a familiar!

She did it!

The laughter permeating the room was intoxicating, and Sonic couldn't help but, for some odd reason, smile with her even though he was utterly lost. What did he do? The pair continued as they were, just bouncing and twirling around in the room. As the duo clung to another, Louise slowed in her steps as she saw the golden ring bouncing along her wrist. As she stared she also crossed sights with the pot of flowers by her bedside, and tentatively she stopped.

She turned to the pot and looked between it and her golden ring with a contemplative look, her eyes slightly glazed in thought as she still held onto Sonic. Louise looked between the materials and only honestly noticed how the buds matched her colors, and how the golden ring fit onto her so well. She gasped, eyes widening in realization as she recalled earlier in the morning, and quickly turned to meet Sonic's gaze. "Were-were those for me?!" She asked excitedly, bouncing, and balancing between her feet as she looked for the creature's response.

Sonic looked at Louise sheepishly with an uncertain grin as he didn't understand anything she said but figured it was right to nod.

Louise looked star-crossed, and her positive aura warmed as her eyes simmered beautifully, threatening to spill more tears. She snuggled against his fur moving them side to side as she continued hugging him even further as sniffles escaped the overjoyed girl. "Yesh! Dank you! Dank you! Dank you!" Her voice was muffled and slightly distorted in his fur. Sonic blushed at this form of gratitude the girl gave him. Was it their culture to be this intimate with people you just met or helped? Was it a common courtesy? Sonic had no clue, but he figured he might as well wing it with their interactions until he could find a book or a translator or something because he had no idea what words were coming from this girl's mouth.

Louise pulled back from Sonic, merely staring at him with wide, proud, and elated eyes. She looked at him for quite a while, that look never leaving or even sagging with time. Sonic grimaced, squirming slightly the longer she looked. It was becoming too often that he was getting weird looks of interest from many eyes that morning.

Can you stop looking at me like that? Sonic thought, almost wishing she could hear him.

As Louise stared, a look crossed the girl's face as her brows suddenly furrowed deeply, one of contemplation and unease. Louise held Sonic slightly away from her as she stared off to space, looking at the wall behind Sonic almost faintly toward his form.

Sonic rose a brow curiously. Now what?

Louise blinked and shook her head a few times, dragging her out of her thoughts as she looked at the hedgehog with an anxious sight crossing her face.

Louise kneeled and brought the hedgehog down to the floor; even then, she still held onto his shoulders as she looked at him with such intense focus, it was unnerving.

"My..." She began to whisper. "My name is Louise." She paused. Her eyes darted to the floor as she tried recalling her words. "Louise Françoise Le Blanc... de La Vallière." Even though the words were barely audible, slowly but surely, each syllable grew with confidence as her mind began putting puzzle pieces together, one-by-one. "Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being," Louise looked up to Sonic as she repeated the final verse that played in her head.

"...and make him my familiar."

Suddenly she closed her eyes, lips parting, and brows were raised, portraying an aura of calmness and excitement as she leaned close. Sonic blinked as he quickly came to realize what she was aiming to do, and he blushed awkwardly.

Okay, getting a very... intimate hug was one thing, but this?

Louise continued leaning in as Sonic went on the defensive and leaned further back as she inched closer, slowly.

Getting a little too intimate here... Sonic pondered nervously.

Louise's brow furrowed curiously as she just barely opened up her eyelids, peering at Sonic shakily before closing them up again as she continued on the offensive, this time a little more forceful and determined. Sonic squirmed as he stared between the girl's face, her blushing red cheeks, and her lips. As her lips inched closer, Sonic leaned his head further back. Was she French or something? This had to be a French thing; Sonic rationalized vainly.

Her brow furrowed irritated in the creature's hesitance, and this time she sternly grasped at his shoulders and pulled him forward. Sonic opened his mouth, alarmed at the sudden forcefulness of the girl, sweating bullets nervously when she finally made contact, lightly tapping at his lips before she leaned back and stood up, letting him go. The hedgehog remained frozen for a few seconds, finding himself at a complete loss.

Sonic stared between Louise, her lips, and down at his feet abashed. Gingerly he brought a hand to his lips and lightly pressed it against his fingers, and as he watched in bewilderment, his gloved fingers were slightly pink. He stared, his face blank, betraying any fervent maelstrom of shock he felt.

Bold; was all he thought.

Sonic blinked and blushed furiously, his face cherry red as he tried to comprehend what just happened. Sonic could only hold his hand just above his lips, unsure of what to do as he looked between himself and Louise.

His first kiss.

Louise glanced off to the side, a little bashful. Sonic felt weird and slightly under. He whisked some sweat accumulating and building up around his temples. Within a moment's notice, his breathing became labored and heavier as he fell increasingly down with a sudden warmth crawling around his skin. It was hot... extremely hot; it was burning! Sonic suddenly hissed, and his limbs locked up as he collapsed to his knees, a painful burning coursing through his very being.

His blood was boiling! Sonic watched in shock as thickets of steamy air whisked from his skin. If he weren't mentally rolling around in agonizing pain, Sonic would've thought it looked cool. He closed his eyes and bared his teeth. Ok, too hot! Too Hot! Sonic trembled violently as he fell to his knees, his fangs bared fully as he gripped the floor, scraping the wood underneath his hands. His fingers curled up until he gripped them in a closed fist. On some corners, the cloth on his glove was slightly blackened, burning slightly.

Louise looked at Sonic with a sympathetic and worried look. He appeared to be in agony. Louise frowned in genuine guilt as she watched him claw at the ground and try to keep himself together. The familiar bind should have finished by now! She winced as Sonic breathed faster with strain and he hissed as more trails of steamy air continued to roll off of him. Louise watched and repressed a gasp as Sonic panted, tongue hanging out lazily as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. This shouldn't happen to familiars; this was unnecessarily and mercilessly dragged out, but what could Louise do?

Louise bit at her lips with a pitiful expression on her before she immediately went to her knees and pulled Sonic into a hug. 'It'll be alright!' she thought. 'I'm sorry about the pain, but you won't suffer alone; I'll be with you!' Louise shook violently as the steam rolled off them both. Her eyes were closed shut as she desperately bit back a painful scream. Radiant violet and sky blue light gradually radiated from the depths of Sonic's left glove, increasing in intensity. Louise shuddered in her breath as her entire chest to her fingers burned painfully, like touching the side of a burning cooking pot. After a moment, the wafts of steam originating from Sonic finally subsided, and Sonic took a deep and relieving shuddering breath.

He felt odd, like he ate something funny. Louise carefully let Sonic go and leaned back, hands open in the air as she tried to manage the burning sensation on her chest and arms. Sonic stared at the floor, trying not to move too much of his muscles, less he experience more bouts of sharp burning pain. But as he carefully moved his fingers and then his wrist, no more pain exploded. It was as if he wasn't just burning in agony moments ago.

Sonic looked around himself curiously, but as he did, he caught notice of the fading lights in his left gloved hand, and he reached for the glove pulling it off. Sonic watched, astonished and horrified as runes appeared and branded themselves on the back of his hand.

He was marked.

---

End Fourth Chapter.

Well, congratulations! You just finished the chapter, and now we're here.

...

P.S. This chapter is actually meant to be the second half of the third chapter, but due to its size, we split it into 2.

I apologize for how short this chapter ended up. There wasn't much we could've added to this part since we've already written down what was important.

[Editor] There isn't much to say, but do you think there should be a choice of music for chapter 3, chapter 4, or both?

Not gonna lie, I felt some warmth in my heart after reading this chapter.

...

I guess with that, I hope you enjoyed the fourth chapter!

-TokuBinu