A/N:
And here I am. yeah I did say that I would update every weekend since it's summer vacation but I've been going to visit my cousins or my other relatives every week ever since vacation began. Updates will be irregular but I'll try to get the chapter out as soon as I can.
Riko smashed the keys of the piano for the umpteenth time as she was started by an explosion from on end of the castle followed by a voice cursing loudly. Her hands hovered over the keys as she tried to play her favorite instrument once again. She waited for a moment to see of there was going to another one but nothing came. She had only pressed a key, she heard another explosion and another round of yelling right after it. She was trying to distract herself from the aching of her heart with music but with the sudden explosions every now and then wasn't helping. She wanted to stop blaming herself for not being able to save You. She was so close yet...
If she could only get herself together that time. She was such a scaredy cat. All she did was stand there and shoot useless flowers at someone who easily dodged them or just deflected them with a flick of a finger. Even her crossbow stood no chance him as he effortlessly dodged every arrow. How could one be so strong? Then again that was only Riko's third quest. She wasn't all that experienced. If only she could use those flowers to some good use. Maybe she could ask Nozomi to guide her, she did have some scarily accurate magic.
Getting up from the seat, she made her way through the winding and confusing corridors of the lavish castle to Nozomi's tower, the source of the explosions. She had walked in these corridors many times, so there wasn't any problem reaching the door of her room, that is after a steep climb up the stairs to the top of the tower. 'How did Yoshiko do this everyday?' she trudged up the stairs her legs aching, her breathing labored. Yoshiko was her roommate and often made her way here, she was still her apprentice after all.
Finally after a painstaking trip up the flights of stairs she was at the top right in front of the door panting like a dog, her hands on her knees. From inside she could hear yelling and then a deafening boom, which made the door of the room fly right out of it's hinges, almost grazing Riko's head before it's descent down to the bottom of the staircase, most likely breaking a few steps as it landed. Riko let out a relieved sigh; that was too close.
She removed her hands from her knees and hesitantly made her way in the dusty room coughing, swatting the dust with her hand, the room filled with the sound of Yoshiko yelling angrily and Nozomi teasing, but of course not without a knock on the wall of the periphery of the enormous hole the explosion caused. "Hello can I come in?" she peeked taking each step carefully. Once the dust dissipated she could see the horrible condition of the room. The walls that were facing the other side from the music room had been literally blasted away and in the places where the wall stood there were smoke stains and cracks.
"Yes you may Riko chan." Nozomi said, as she stired her cauldron, mixing the ingredients with care and love. Riko stood in front if the cauldron, playing with her fingers. Stuck to the roof was Yoshiko who gave Riko a 'don't even ask' look at her. What ever the two experimenting with might have made Yoshiko stuck to the roof. "What bring you to my lair, or what's left of it?" Nozomi asked, turning to her shelves full of ingredients behind her. "Can I ask you something?"
"Let me guess, you want to become stronger, don't you?" Nozomi gave her a knowing look before fetching the ingredient she was searching. The question surprised Riko. 'Ruby and Yocchan weren't kidding when they meant she knew everything.' "How do you-"
"Never underestimate the power of a fortune telling witch." Nozomi poured the ingredient, in to the mixture and stired it again. "Now then you've been practicing regularly, am I right?" Nozomi lifted her eyes up at Riko. "Yes."
"And I'm guessing in that battle with that bandit you couldn't stand a chance to him though you practice everyday." Riko nodded. "Well then I'm guessing weapons are not your thing then." Nozomi said nonchalantly. Riko was taken aback. How could all her work go to waste by that one line? "What do you mean by that?" Riko controlled herself from bursting. "You control flowers Riko chan. They are not as strong like the elemental ones or psychic ones. You could try combining your magic with something else other than weapons."
"Are you calling me weak?" Riko's voice raised. Nozomi had hit her weak spot. "No, you're not weak. My cards had suggested ways to use your powers more effectively." she took a vial from a stand located close by the cauldron. "Then why does it sound like your calling me weak?" Riko ignored the second statement. Nozomi only gave her smile only making Riko feel more enraged. She clenched her fists and bit the inside of her cheek as she stormed out of the place angry, with Yoshiko calling out for her. She didn't care though. She wasn't like this but ever since You was kidnapped she wasn't herself. Why did she underestimate her? She knew her powers weren't as powerful or eye catching like everyone else's neither was her personality. It was something she hated about herself. She wasn't as vibrant as Chika or cheerful as You, she was just... her- boring girl, a migrant from another kingdom here as a refugee, but that didn't mean she was a little weakling like a chick who entered the cruel world from it's safe egg.
She flung open the doors of the music room, glad it was empty and picked up the closet instrument- the viola. She began all her feeling into the music she was playing, all the frustration, sorrow, anger, pain, everything within her was fueled into the instrument as she furiously played the instrument. She could feel her mind clearing, with every stroke of the bow across the delicate strings of the instrument. She could feel a surge of power, rushing through her veins as she played the instrument. It had been ages since she felt like this. She closed her eyes relish the temporary feeling.
She played and played till she heard another scream, this time from the very room she was standing in. She opened her eyes to find out she was stuck in the eye of a flower tornado. The flowers were spinning rapidly as if they had angry souls carrying anything and everything in the room except of her and the viola as she continued to play. The source of the scream was the girl stuck in that very tornado, with orange hair. Alarmed, she stopped playing the viola. The petals stopped swirling around, stationary in the air for a blink of an eye before just falling on the floor elegantly. But for some it wasn't an elegant fall.
The instruments and Chika were thrown into the walls, due to inertia. The instruments clattered onto the floor, most breaking due to the brute force. Chika was slammed into the wall, a huge dent forming on the wall before falling on her face followed by a taiko falling right on her. Chika let out a strangled scream as it fell on her, causing Riko to cringe.
"Chika chan I'm so sorry I-"
"Riko chan that was so COOL! I never knew you could do that!" Chika lifted her scarred face smiling astonished. Riko went up to help Chika get the taiko off of her muttering, "Neither did I..."
She helped the injured Chika up, who kept on rambling how cool it was. "Let's get you to the infirmary." Riko said, paying no heed to Chika. She was surprised of herself. Never had her flower petals been so deadly. All they did was obscure the enemy with a gentle shower of petals which in most cases is not helpful. That's why she almost need a weapon in her hand at all time when she fought. Her powers were to weak to stand alone.
A week passed by since the incident. Mari didn't even care about the damage and was happy to replace all of the damage instruments that is if Riko were to prove that her powers weren't a joke which she did(in the process Mari was sucked into the flower tornado but didn't get hurt severely. To Riko's relief she wasn't punished for doing so).
Riko had approached Nozomi once again, in order to ask her to reach her to master the new way of using her magic. Handling a bit of teasing and some questions she had to carefully answer she managed to get Nozomi to control her powers at least a bit. It was slightly difficult as if she were to change the tone of her music the intensity of the petals would change also she had to focus on playing as well as directing her petals to the target.
Riko was in the arena, practicing she needed to control her power at least a bit so she could survive if anyone attacked. "Riko chan!" she heard a voice call from the entrance of the arena. She stopped playing the viola, the "petal arm" as she called it, that was trying (failing) to attack a dummy, with a sword in it's hand had collapsed onto the floor along with the sword. "Ah Chika chan." she turned around smiling gladly. "Seems like you're all healed up."
"Yeah thanks to Nozomi chan's healing potion. Those scars were deep." Chika said looking at her body now spotless showing as if the incident never really happened. "I'm sorry."
"Hey its no big deal in fine now see." she smiled brightly, "You were so cool! The petals were going whoosh and-" she made gestures with her hands. "Chika chan please..." Riko buried her face behind her hands that held the viola and the bow. "Hehe, sorry." Chika rubbed the back of her head, "You know I came into the music room to ask you something," Chika's cheerful expression faded, turning into a melancholic one. She was almost crying but still had a smile. Riko mentally shook her head. That girl was trying so hard to stay strong when in reality she was breaking.
"would you go on a quest with me to save You chan from those bandits? She's our friend, your soul mate, my best friend," Chika's voice began to break and a tear flowed down her cheek. "Huh, why am I crying? I shouldn't be crying?" unlike her words she began sobbing violently. Riko approached her, and gave the poor girl a hug. She was returning the same gesture she had given her when she had broken down as soon as they got back from the quest. Chika hid her feeling way too much, especially the ones she needed to express like this.
Chika cried into her robes, her shoulder getting wet due to tears and a bit of snot. As much as Riko felt disgusted by the snot she stood there stationary, lending a shoulder (literally) to Chika. Chika calmed down after some time, still heaving. "Thanks Riko chan." she lifted her head, resting it above Riko's shoulder, wiping all the liquids from her face, smiling gratefully, still hugging.
"You forget to practice or do what Nozomi asked you to do but you remember this crystal clear." Riko commented after some silence. "That's because I'm not that interested in those kind of stuff. And for Nozomi she has Yoshiko to help her." Chika grumbled, pouting as she did so. "If she heard you right now she'd give you a washi washi."
"No anything but that!" Chika said exasperated causing Riko to laugh. "You're lucky you haven't been affected by it. It's horrifying." Chika shuddered remembering the occurrence. It was just a few mikans and she was hungry.
"We should submit a scroll to Mari sama so we can get her approval today." Riko suggested. Chika hummed in unison. They were going to get You back no matter what.
"Shiny..." Mari raised the stamp in the air. Chika's eyes shone in delight and Riko was itching to pack up and go save You from those pesky bandits. "Denial!" Mari slammed the stamp onto the ink pad, ink slightly oozing out.
A moment of silence lingered before, "EHHH!" the two yelled in unison. "B-but You chan-" Chika was cutoff by Mari. "I am not approving this mission." Chika clenched her fist. She was going to save her and nothing was going to stop them. "There is an important mission you need to take care of before this."
"Isn't You chan important as well?"Chika lashed out. "I never said she wasn't. You're knights do not forget that. You have to be ready for sacrificing anything for your kingdom." Chika growled, "There are other knights too. You could send them."
"Are you going against the kingdom?" Mari raised a brow in question. There was something in her tone that showed that she was serious. It was something unlike her usual casual joking self. Chika kept quiet but she was burning with anger. "Here's the scroll," Mari handed out a scroll into Chika's hands. "this is your new mission. Dismissed."
Chika and Riko exited the room fairly upset. As they exited they bowed to Dia who was entering the room to speak with Mari. Dia bowed back, letting them pass by before entering the room and firmly shutting the door. "Don't you think you were a bit harsh on them?" Dia asked. "Says the one whose cold and strict all the time." Mari giggled, the atmosphere light unlike just a few moments ago. "I came here as soon as I heard the news." Dia informed. "You're the only one who knows Dia."
"I see. What do you plan to do Mari san? One wrong move we will be waging war. We do not have many troops as we are losing them in our fight with the pirates."
"I know the risks Dia but if we need to get her we must do this." Mari said, "I miss her Dia." Mari said almost crying. "I miss her too Mari san but don't you think it is harsh for them?" Mari turned around looking through the window. "Chikachi did say they lost her to a bandit. It will be a stepping stone for their next quest."
"I see. I'll take my leave." Dia bowed before leaving the room behind along with a sad Mari. Mari touched the glass with nostalgia, remembering the time she and Kanan had dancing in that very garden under the stars. She missed those wonderful times. "Kanan I'm coming for you."