An*
Welcome to the second chapter. Just know that I made two whole teams for this story for full creative control and I'm not going to change much from the original lore except some select changes*cough*volume 3 ending*cough* so I hope you enjoy.
P.s* Sorry if chapters come out slow my finals just finished and I'm searching for a part-time job, I'll update as frequently as I can.
I left the CCT with downcast eyes and slowly shuffled my way to the nearest bench. A steady stream of early birds where arriving at the school despite it being near 7, most of them waiting for friends to arrive near the airship docks. I simply waited for the opening ceremony, after which I would undergo great trauma and be thrown between the other students without a single close friend to help me through my pain.
In my self-loathing, I barely noticed someone coming to sit next to me on the bench. I didn't look up or even say hello, because why would I? That's when the girl to my right piped up.
"Hey Sandy, long time no see."
I only knew one person who called me 'Sandy' and the sudden realization hit me like a truck. I looked up to confirm my suspicion and, sure as day, she was sitting next to me.
Aurel Candor.
She sat there with a silly grin on her face while she waited expectantly for me to react. I didn't know what to do or say and her silly grin turning into a genuine smile told me I was probably sitting there, mouth agape, with my own stupid expression.
"What's it been, like 8 months ?" she asked with that bright smile.
I couldn't believe it. She has barely changed since I last saw her. She still had the annoying 1'7" height advantage she always bragged about. She still had the lean but not overly developed body she was so proud of. She still had the gorgeous platinum blonde hair that hung to her mid back even when braided, as she would wear it for combat. She still had those amazing golden irises that I swore gave her her name. She still wore the simple purple sundress I last saw her in.
"Y...Yo...You told me you were not going to enroll into a hunters academy." I finally stuttered out.
She just smiled brighter and responded, "I see you still keep sand in your hair."
This infuriated me."And I told you why I do this." I gritted through my teeth."I keep it this way as a reminder to my father."
"And I get the starry effect your going for but isn't it annoying to have powdered crystal in your hair ?"
"It was at first, but I couldn't do anything at the time cause every time I washed it out my father would touch my hair and it would be back so I just grew used to it."
"I love it when you defend your father's weirdness."
Her genuine smile slowly melted away the dread I was feeling...but a sound reached my ears which immediately sent me into a state of shock. A fiery roar followed by the crack of thunder and rapid crystallization. A trademark Multi Dust Discharge. I was so startled by the noise I grabbed the nearest object in a death grip. I didn't know if the rapid heartbeat that filled my ears was mine or Aurel's. I had my head firmly pressed to her left breast and my eyes tightly shut trying to fight back the horrific memories surfacing in my mind. I didn't notice Aurel trying to remove my arms from her midsection or her trying to ask me what the hell I was doing. I did notice when she held my head in place and scratched the small of my back in an attempt to calm me down. When I finally pulled my head from her breast, I saw she had a look of concern on her face and a dark patch on her dress. With a scaled hand I wiped the tears from my face.
"You still can't handle discharges, can you ?" She asked softly. I simply nodded, not speaking in fear that my voice will betray how truly terrified I was.
"It's fine 'chelle, I'm here." She pulled me back into her embrace, running one hand through my hair while the other made little circles between my shoulders. Secretly I was really grateful she showed up because I probably wouldn't have been able to handle that myself. Although I would never admit it I was glad Aurel knew exactly how to calm me down.
"I...I'm glad you are here, but you still have not told me why?"
"Would you believe that I had a change of heart?"
"When I left 8 months ago I asked if you wanted to come with, remember your answer?"
She sighed but replied anyway.
"I'm set up for life, why would I want to leave?"
It lacked the arrogance of the original statement, instead sounding...sad? She seemed to notice my questioning look and filled in the blanks.
"That night I thought it over and only then did I realize it's not about the money, but the adventure and by then you were already gone. I tried finding a way to contact you but even visiting the surrounding villages left me with nothing."She looked at me and made a sort of helpless gesture."So I enrolled with the hopes that you'd get here safely."
"So in the month I lived with you, you thought I wanted to become a huntress for money?" I raised my brow to emphasize my point.
"Well in my defense you showed up to a mansion in the middle of nowhere in search of 'sanctuary and aid on my journey'."She made air quotations at my exact words."You expected me to believe a girl who was by all accounts homeless at the time would have other motives besides money."
"I found your mansion thanks to a shipping manifest I'll let you know, Your family was the second most prolific buyer of our goods behind the SDC."
Realizing that I held the entire quarrel in her embrace I wiggled my way out to sit up straight.
"I assume due to your reaction to the discharge no one else knows about the..."She made a gesture with her hands indicating an explosion. With a heavy sigh, I simply told her."No, but I'm supposed to tell the headmaster soon a...and I don't think I'll ever be ready to share my story without breaking down."
"Tell you what, Let's go attend the speech and when you have to go spill your guts to the headmaster I'll wait outside ready to help you get through it when you get out. Deal?"
I simply nodded and stood, gesturing for her to show the way. With that, we walked to the main hall waiting for the headmaster's speech.
The speech was...slightly terrifying, to be honest. I couldn't tell whether it was the shallow delivery, the slightly unsettling message or how short the speech was. Miss Goodwitch then told the students to gather in the ballroom tonight which left me with a few hours to spill my guts.
I moved into the direction of the CCT with Aurel short on my tail. When we reached the elevator to the headmaster's office Miss Goodwitch was waiting for me, she gestured for me to enter but stopped Aurel with a raised hand. I simply looked at her with pleading eyes and nodded at which Aurel was allowed to enter.
When the elevator started I realized my mistake. "You said you wanted to wait outside, right ?" I asked with a smirk.
She simply side-eyed me with a questioning smirk of her own. "What does that mean ?"
I simply pointed at the doors as they slid open with a resounding
*Ding*
Revealing the professor's office with the man himself framed by the clock in the background.
"Because you kind of don't have a choice."
The man himself had his back turned to us, gesturing to the chairs as if he had been waiting for two people, likely me and miss Goodwitch, who strangely didn't come along. The headmaster then opened the evening without turning.
"I truly am sorry to force you into recounting your past, but I need to gather as much information about you as possible. Someone has been trying to erase you, so I'm just trying to write you back in."
When he finally turned around he showed little but definite surprise at the friend by my side.
"May I ask what miss Candor is doing here?"
I could feel my cheeks heat as I answered "She...she is my crux, Sir."
The professor smiled, sat back and gestured for me to continue. "Well let's just begin with that last day, as to spare you from some trauma.
I breathed heavily to calm myself and started thinking back on that day over a year ago.
"We prepared for the SDC to pick up their dust shipment of the month, the miners packed out the dust crates in the middle of the quarry as the SDC airship approached and lowered its loading docks. I don't remember the size of the order but I'm sure the SDC can tell you. The representative that came to pick up the shipment went into my father's office while the miners celebrated the largest shipment ever sold. I snooped a bit and listened in on my father's meeting. I could hear the trademark furious augmenting with the representative that tried to buy the quarry as always. I ran from the door as the furious argument died down." I could feel my voice become thick as the events unfolded in my mind. "I...I remember the words of the representative as he checked the stock. 'I was instructed to acquire this quarry or prevent the acquisition by someone else' he said as he as he ran a hand over the crates. He had a mischievous and sly tone to his voice. My father was visually frightened and then held me close an...an...and told me to head to the horizon." I could feel the tears leaking out of my eyes even though I had them tightly closed. I couldn't see the professor's evaluating stern face and Aurel's visual distaste at the events. At least the small circles Aurel was drawing on my lower back prevented me from straight up bawling in front of the professor. "When I stepped out of the portal on the horizon, I turned and waited for my parents to come through as they promised... only to see the portal dissipate." With a labored breath, I took a second to appreciate Aurel's calming gestures.
"That's when the sound reached my ears. The fiery roar, the cracking thunder, the rapid crystallization and fierce rumbling of the earth. I then looked at the mountain to see...a...a huge fireball erupting from the summit. When I finally ported back to the quarry...I...I found no one alive. The quarry itself was relatively unscathed but not a single person was to be found. I think my father used his semblance to prevent a larger explosion." I stopped to allow myself some time to lament while the professor processed my tale.
"I do feel sorry for you and my condolences, but may I ask what you mean by your father used his semblance to negate a larger explosion?" The professor asked with crossed brows.
"My father could harden and soften materials he touched, which is why he was considered a great miner. He likely hardened the quarry to prevent the dust veins from going off."
The professor seemed to approve of my answer but I could visually see his next question form.
"What of the ownership of the quarry ?"
"According to something my father said during all of his arguments
...
...
I
...
own the quarry now."
I could hear Aurel gasp at my side, but I continued to answer her unspoken question. "I have the rights to the quarry transferred to my name in the event of my father's death, I just have to go get a copy of the deed from a registered bank."
"One last question Échelle, why has miss Candor accompanied you here and why does she have a visual effect on how calm you are ?"
"Well, when I tried to escape the quarry I traveled to her manor over the course of a month. She was the only person I knew outside the quarry and I settled at her home for a month. It was here that I settled on becoming a huntress even though I knew I could reopen the quarry and use the existing capital to rebuild."
With that what I turned to Aurel, her stunned expression told me she was building the story in her mind.
I could see the moment everything clicked when her face softened and she drew me into a hug.
"I'm sorry I misunderstood you so many months ago 'chelle, please forgive me."
"I forgave you the moment you calmed me down this afternoon." I stated softly as I reciprocated the hug, which was broken by the professor clearing his throat.
"I thank you for this insight and I thank you for your time. Échelle I suggest you reopen the quarry, since even though you have a large amount of capital you have no income, but that is for another day. I would otherwise suggest you girls head for the ballroom to join the other students."
I smiled at the professor, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Thank you, professor, I will carry this guilt with me forever but I feel lighter after this. Thank you."
*AN*
Thank you for reading chapter 2 like I said sorry if these are coming out slow I try my best See ya in the next one