Hello! It's been very long since I last posted a chapter... Busy with life and army again...
Anyway, this is like a collaboration story I made in favor of Parousia45! I hope everyone enjoys it! Well, I jumped at the idea of making Valentine's Day specials for some writers. And we shared our own thoughts and whatsnots.
So... once again, enjoy reading!
On every 14th of February, Crystallium Akademia holds a festival for the cadets to have a day to themselves. A fair is set up from morning up until night, at when a dance party is held inside the building's ballroom. The system varies with the festival committee's methods on the selection of the pairs. As for this year's festival...
A youthful Politoed in a black jacket with a light blue mantle draped over it, white pants and brown shoes hurried along the corridor. "What did the committee chairman call me in for...?" Luca sighed to himself. "Did something happen in the midst of preparation?"
Luca arrives at the classroom where he and the other committee members prepared for the big day. He fixes his mantle and he entered the classroom. The chairman, a Zoroark, was sitting behind one the many tables in the classroom, hit hat concealing the front of his face. He calmly turns around to look over at Luca. "Ah, you have arrived." He smiles.
"Raven, what's wrong? Why did you call me here?" Luca asks. Raven tilts his hat. "I'm afraid... that we have a slight, little... problem in effect with today." He calmly said.
"Er... what problem?" Luca questioned. "There couldn't have been any pro-"
"...I, unfortunately, had no chance to distribute the cards for the Akademia Festival Dance Party." Raven calmly speaks.
'...Or is it just because you spent too much time flirting with every single women there was... and completely forgot to do it...' Luca thought to himself.
Raven brought out a medium-sized box. Opening it, there are many identical cards with a heart on them. The cards are halved in a zigzag pattern vertically. "I would like you to hand these cards out randomly. One side to makes and the other side to females. At the after-party, the cadets will find the person whose card matches theirs and dance with them."
"...Without these cards, the dance shall be in disarray." Raven finishes.
"That... feels like a lazy way..." Luca mumbles, inspecting one of the cards himself.
"Now, Luca..." Raven picks the box up and passes it to Luca. "Hand out these cards as if your life is on the line." He smiles. "This is your mission as a member of the Akademia Festival Committee. Accomplish it, if you will."
"Wait... where are the other committee members? Didn't you call them in as well?" Luca asks.
"Of course..." Raven sighs, shaking his head. "...But it appears that they switched off their comms for a particular reason. And you were the only one I could contact."
Luca sighs. "Okay..." He turns around and heads towards the door. Before he reaches the handle, Luca paused, turning back to Raven. "...Hey... Don't you have cards with you? Aren't you going to the dance?"
"My, me?" Raven chuckles. "I can let everyone else have some fun while ol' Raven kicks back and watches..."
"...You're really a strange commander..." Luca sighs before he finally leaves the room. He hears Raven's nonchalant call of "Good luck." before he closes the door.
Luca walked out of the academy, stepping into the fountain courtyard. Booths were all set up across the entire courtyard, offering various treats made by the cadets. "They got our booth set up..." Luca murmurs as he looks over at one booth. Stationing it was Polsibitvag, one of his fellow classmates in Class First. 'Class Twelfth had trouble getting Polsibitvag's cookies past the health inspection... But they worked that out, too...' He thinks to himself, remembering the last time he checked on the preparation of the booth. Many Class Twelfth members were writhing on the ground and his face pales out from their suffering... Luckily, Vanille was there...
As he walked around to see who to pass his first cards to... he spots an Infernape he knows of, his yellow-green mantle fluttering as he placed left and right uncomfortably.
Van paced around, taking a deep breath. He then looked by from the corner of the booth. Heart tended to a roll of cotton candy, passing it to her customer. "Have a nice day!" She said, waving the customer goodbye.
'Okay... you can do this... Just walk over there calmly and... ask her for the dance...' Van breathes out.
Van didn't take notice of Luca behind him... "Van? What're you doing out here?" He asked. Van jolted, turning around. "Luca!? When did you get here?"
"Just now..." Luca told him.
"Well... I was just looking around the fair... Checking out what all the stores had." Van said. Though his eyes kept shifting over to the stall.
"Okay... Ah...! You should have this!" Luca dug into the box and brought out a set. "These tickets... as a pair, they decide your partner for the dance. I'm giving out this set to you. The chairman told me to distribute these randomly... but I'll let you decide on who to give yours to."
Van looked back at Heart, seeing her discuss with her classmates. He swiftly swipes both pieces from Luca's hand. "...I owe you one." He speaks out before he marches over to Heart. "Good luck!" Luca waves him off. Luca nods and he continues his way around the courtyard, passing them to the cadets he passed by...
He notices that there were several cadets he know of in front of the gate and headed to them. "Elazul!" he calls out to the Noivern cadet wearing an indigo blue mantle. He turns around. "Hm? Oh, Luca." He said. A small Dratini is beside him, looking around in wonder.
"Ela, is that really...?" The Dratini asks his elder brother. Elazul looks down at him and smiles. "Yes. That's Luca. Remember him?"
"Oooh!" Realization hit the young Dratini. "It's Luca!"
Luca laughed lightly. "So, you brought your little brother Allen, huh...?" he turned to Elazul. Elazul looked back at him. "...Yeah. I couldn't leave him alone at home for today again. And he wanted to see Alex and Ryuunosuke."
"Alex and I are going to play again! I can't wait until we become cadets...! And then, we'll become heroes together!" Allen chirped.
Luca couldn't help but giggle at the enthusiasm. "...Ah, right. Elazul, you should have this." Luca passed one card to him. Elazul looked at the card. "...This is for..."
"The dance at the after-party." Luca finished for him. "You'll dance with a woman during then."
"...Are you serious." Elazul's tone had a bit of nervousness in it.
"Don't worry about it, Ela!" Allen shouts out. "Was the other side for girls?" Luca nodded at the question. "Give me one: I'll pick the girl for my brother to dance with!"
"...Wait, Allen. I-" Elazul couldn't finish as he watches Luca pass the card for girls to his little brother and he slithers off... "..."
"...Well, looks like your little brother will decide your dance partner!" Luca tried to speak out cheerfully.
"...You have got to be kidding me..." Elazul murmurs under his breath. He turned to Luca before he went off and looked for Allen. He then approached the next cadet... who turned out to be a Serperior wearing a uniform over his serpentine figure and a yellow-green mantle.
"Hmm... I suppose..." Arturo mumbles to himself. "Arturo!" Luca calls out to him. "Hm? Oh, Luca..." Arturo turned to meet his fellow schoolmate. "What brings you here, Arturo?" Luca asked.
"I was assigned to welcome Princess Arche into Akademia." Arturo told him.
"You mean, Arche of the Namdiascian region?" Luca said.
"Yes, oh... speaking of which... she is here." Arturo turned around and greeted the Diancle approaching the gates. An Aegislash dressed lightly is accompanying her. "Princess Arche, we've arrived at Akademia." The Aegslash speaks to the Diancle.
Arche nods. "Thank you, Grast."
"It is my pleasure." The Aegislash nods.
"Princess Arche, welcome to Akademia!" Luca welcomes her as well. Arche turns to him. "You must be Luca of Class First. Grast spoke about you. You look quite talented for your size."
"Thanks for the compliment, Princess!" Luca grinned. He dug through the box. "Everyone should have these here!" He passed Arturo one half, and Arche another half. He was about to pass one to Grast, but he declined.
"But I'm not of Akademia... are you sure you want to pass one to me?" Arche asks.
"That's okay." Luca smiled at her. "Akademia festival's motto is 'Open and Free'. Anyone here will be welcome."
"Then I will accept this with gratitude." Arche smiled. "Thank you." She, Grast and Arturo went on ahead, with Arturo as her guide. As Luca saw them off, he was bumped by a running cadet, followed by a fuming Ampharos, her indigo-blue mantle fluttering against the wind as she chased after the cadet that infuriated her. Luca fell back and some of the cards fell out of the box. "Argh..." Luca quickly got onto his feet and began to collect the scattered cards.
He was about to reach out for the last card, specified to males, before he saw someone pick it up. "Thank you... Professor Armornal!" Luca said in surprise at the shiny Genesect in front of him. "I believe that this belongs to you." Rose said, about to return Luca the card.
Luca managed to compose himself before he took the card away from Rose. "...Professor, you can hold on to it. You know what this is, right?"
"...I see, this will decide the partner I will have for the dance on the after-party." Rose said. "Thank you, Luca." Luca saw the professor off before he went back with his task...
"Hey! Your shoulder ran into me, punk!"
"You're the one who ran into me!"
At the western side of the courtyard, cadets looked at each other, muttering in disappointment. At the middle of the gathered group, an Empoleon dressed in a uniform and a yellow-green mantle was glaring at a Typhlosion in a uniform with a indigo-blue mantle.
"Watch where you're going, dammit!" The Empoleon snaps. "I'm gonna rough you up into mincemeat!"
Murmurs were spread through the gathered cadets passing through. "Ugh, I can't believe they're fighting at the festival..." one cadet muttered. "Can't those two ever come in terms with each other even in a holiday?" Another shakes her head.
"After I'm through with you..." The Typhlosion cracks his neck and paws. "You're gonna the laughing stock of Class Fifth!"
"The hell, punk!?" The Empoleon grits his beak.
A Kirlia dressed in a uniform with a purple mantle accompanied by a animate Banette doll floating beside her shook her head. "What foul language... Don't follow their example, young ones." She smiles, looking down at the children with her. A Drizzile, a Pancham, a Espurr and a Cubchoo watched how the Empoleon and Typhlosion punched each other, standing their grounds.
"...Awesome!!!" The Pancham's eyes glimmered.
"...Thus is your trouble with you, Gray..." The Drizzile sighs. The Pancham snaps at him furiously. "The hell, punk!!!?"
"Raaaaaaaaagggh!" The Empoleon and Typhlosion both shout out, ready to take their fight to the next level...
...Only to be cut shortly as an adult Hydreigon and Charizard struck both down in a single punch. "...These two..." The Hydreigon shakes his head in disappointment. The Charizard sighs as well. "Always the problem students of their classes..." He comments. "Normally, we would have them sent to the detention room, but for today, we'll let it go."
"Huh? Commander Dragonblaze! Commander Dhaos!" The two adult dragons, as they helped their respective students up, watched Luca approach them.
"Ah, young Luca." Dragonblaze said. Luca nodded. "Here, sirs, we'll be using these at the after-party. Please take one each." Four identical halves were taken and distributed. Luca watched the four leave. He turned to the gathered cadets and nodded to himself.
Hours passed, and Luca made great progress. He passed cards to his known classmates. Even he managed to pass one to the very silent Ninjask classmate, who was with a Chandelure from Class Third. There was also the Froslass and younger Hydreigon in Class Twelfth. The box's contents lessened and lessened... And finally, night arrives. Luca sets himself down on one of the balcony's many benches, letting out a relieved sigh. In the box, was just one full card and one side for another male.
"Thanks for your hard work." Luca hears someone youthful call out to him. He turns around to see a Breloom with a gray mantle. Even as a Trainee, the Breloom shows promise with his abilities having arrived a month ago. "Kite!"
Kite walked up beside him. "Looks like the stores are wrapping up. And I heard that the after-party's about to start." He said. Luca smiled and he looked back at the box. "Right. I haven't given this to you, here."
Luca passed the half to Kite. "This is the system to decide our dance partners, right?" he looked over in the box. "But, you still have the girl half of this one..." Luca pulled out the last girl card. "I missed one... Oh, well..." He felt a tug. "Guess I'll have to put these away..." He felt more tugs.
Luca turned to where he was being tugged by his mantle. It was his pet Mu. The little blue-furred mammal tugged onto its owner's mantle with its mouth. It let's go of Luca's mantle, but its' mouth remained open. "...Looks like your Mu wants you to give it to him..." Kite commented. Luca looked over at his Mu, and after a few moments of silence, he passed the girl's card to his Mu. The Mu bites lightly onto the card and jumps off the bench, dashing out of the balcony.
"Hey..." Luca stared at where his Mu ran off to. "I guess the last card is yours." Kite said. "And it looks like you will dance with the girl your Mu chooses for you."
Luca walked around the ballroom. The after-party had already begun. He watched pairs form in the blink of an eye, hearing a lot of chatter. He squeezed through the pairs, searching for the one who has to dance with him. Turning around in the midst, he bumps into someone. "Oh, pardon me!" he turned around. A Slurpuff wearing a yellow-green mantle turns around to meet him
"Oh, Luca!" Vanille said through her mouthful, her other arm holding a packet of food bought from the booths. "Vanille!" Luca said.
Vanille giggled, setting down her packet of food on the nearby table. She brought out a half of a card in her hand. "Your Mu came along and gave me this!" She said, waving the card around. "What? Was it really you?" Luca asked.
Vanille blinked. "Huh?"
"I'm the partner for that card..." Luca explained, bringing out his half of the card. "My Mu ran off with the other half of that card. I was worried that he'd give it to someone I can't work with well, but I'm glad that he picked you..." Vanille looked down at her half of the card, then back to Luca's one.
She grinned goofily as their cards matched perfectly. "Were you glad he chose me?" Vanille asked him. Luca chuckled. "Yeah, you aren't that much of a judgemental person when it comes to dancing."
"Huh...?" Vanille stared at him obliviously with rapid blinks, and Luca could have sworn he saw question marks forming above her head for a moment. They heard excited shouts as music begins to play. "It's starting! It's starting!" Vanille jumped excitedly.
And so, the dance began... the formed pairs began to dance around the wide floor, all enjoying themselves. Some are happier with the one they had interest on... A Swampert and Gardevoir had graceful steps with them, both smiling at each other. There was Cress dancing with the rambunctious and vulgar Empoleon. Though both appeared displeased, they had a fair dance with them. Arturo was dancing with a Roserade from Class Sixth, dancing with a rhythmic flow. There was Van and Heart... they smiled at each other, dancing so nicely in tandem. Elazul danced with an Archeops visitor, though his expression is hard to read, he seems to be enjoying the dance with his partner.
At the side of the ballroom, Princess Arche looked around after Grast left to check on security. She still hasn't found her partner. "I should get a drink..." Arche says to herself. She headed over to where there are refreshments for the dance. Upon arriving, she was about to take a cup, a mechanical hand bumps into her. "Oh!"
"Hm? Oh, it's you, Princess Arche." Rose spoke. At the corner of her eye, Arche catches a card sticking out of the professor's shirt pocket. "Professor Armornal? May I... check your card?" Arche asked.
"Ah, this?" Rose took out his card and presented it to Arche. Arche nodded and she placed her card near his. It matched perfectly. Arche smiles at him. "Armornal, you'll be my partner for the dance." Rose looks at her and nods. "I shall aim not to disappoint you, Princess Arche."
The dance party continued onwards, pairs now filling the entire ballroom. Even Luca's Mu was running around with a friendly monster belonging to a cadet. One splendid pair was the dancing Professor Armornal and Princess Arche. They followed in rhythm with the ever-changing music. And they rarely stopped and got the movements perfect.
"Hehe... what's going on with those two?"
"Weirdos."
Van looked over at where some laughter was heard. "Man, those two..." he chuckled.
Luca and Vanille... had the most eccentric movements. Luca had a slow a calm pace, whereas Vanille went on an energetic and fast pace. Their dance looked completely desynchronized. Luca looked around the laughter around them and the pairs that were still dancing.
"Is it just me, or are we doing a completely different dance than the others?" Luca questioned.
"It's alright! We're having fun, that's all that matters!" Vanille chirps. She looks at Luca, beaming.
Luca's mouth was open, but he closes it with a smile. "...You're right."
He chuckled and laughed as Vanille danced with him for the entire night, having the fun of the day...
Happy belated Valentine's Day, everyone!