Issues of Post-Game Crossovers: Tales of the Abyss and Familiar of Zero

Chapter 2: Nobility

Spoilers for all of Tales of the Abyss. Play the game, It's one of the greatest of all time. Available for 3DS, or PS2 if you can find it. Some head-cannon, but that's inevitable for some of this stuff.

This is planned to be a fairly short series since there is only one real season of Familiar of Zero (FoZ). The tone will be a little more serious and soul searching, but the comic relief will still be there.

I have no rights to either Familiar of Zero nor to Tales of the Abyss, and I make no money off of this work.

Text key

"Speech" "Thought" "SHOUTING" 'Non-bodied Beings' "Spells/Artes"

This story assumes familiarity with Tales of the Abyss, but can be read without. If you don't understand a term; you're already on the internet, look it up.

And with that, we begin

Two red haired figures glared at each other across a white room, blood dripping from both of them. They raised their blades, and staggered toward each other, flailing with all the strength left in their bodies. Eventually them stumbled together. Both were run through. One fell forward, the other fell backward. A curtain of long crimson hair covered the two from above.

Green eyes opened in shock. He grasped the hilt of his sword and surveyed the room for threats. The room was unfamiliar, but the pink hair poking out from the bed next to his could only belong to one person. "Damnit Largo, you're supposed to be the one to take care of the kid. Now I'm going to be stuck listening to Arietta ramble on about Ion." "Get up Brat. The sun's rising; it's time for morning training."

Pink eyes opened slowly. There was a voice in her room. "Likely a new maid that hasn't learned her place yet. She had better receive a firm thrashing for her impudence." As her eyes began to take in the sight in front of her and she remembered the previous day, her judgement quickly changed. She retreated under the covers with a squeak. "I have a man in my room and I'm only in my nightgown! Another noble! The scandal this could cause! Familiar or not, he can't see me like this!"

Asch growled. "What, did you lose your doll? Get up! If your late for training again, Va-a…" His head fell into his hands as memories rushed through him. "…Damn it. I'm sorry. I was lost in memories. I'll be outside training when you're ready."

Louise waited for the door to close before bursting out from her covers. It was way too hot under there, but decency trumped comfort. "After all, what if a servant came in, or Zerbst decided she wanted something? Word could get back to Mom, she'd have to defend my honor, and I'd lose the only thing that proves I'm a real noble. And I can't fully trust him either. After all, it's not like I summoned an animal or a commoner that I should be able to easily control. Who knows what he could do if he were in the mood, and I wouldn't be able to stop him."

Pushing down the blush, she quickly dressed and headed for the courtyard to see what her familiar could do. He was already surrounded in his glow, with his hands held in front of him. "He's doing… whatever that is. It's going to explode on him, just like all of my spells." The runes on his hand glowed, and he adjusted the position of his hands with a grimace. "But he acts like he knows he can. And if he can overturn his fate then so can I! I can be more than a zero, starting today!"

The glowing remained and stabilized. A victorious grin split his face, before he unleashed the force and vaporized a section of the wall.

Her shocked squeak gave away her position and the familiar turned to her with a friendly smile. "Good morning, Louise. I was just about to start exercising. You want in?"

The girl blanched at the thought of unnecessary physical activity. "Isn't magic supposed to make it so we don't have to use our muscles like the peasants?" "Ummm, it's going to be time for breakfast soon and I haven't shown you anything of the academy yet! I'm afraid exercise is going to have to wait." The look on her familiar's face made her feel like she had kicked a puppy.

-ToA/FoZ-

The pair strolled into the dining hall, attracting the eyes of the assembled students. The most attention seemed to be focused on the familiar, dressed in a black and red tabard placed over the regular student pants and shirt.

Whispers were being passed, theories were made, and many people urged their neighbors to demand an answer. No one dared to walk up the pair though, intimidated by the familiar's sword. All of them knew of the famous wand-sword used by Karin of the Heavy Wind, and thought better of crossing someone of even a fraction of her skill.

The duo took seats at the table, and the whispers exploded while a few coins passed hands. Luke looked at the pink haired maid in confusion, and quickly noted that she was almost beaming in pride at the attention. After a quick prayer to someone called Brimir, she explained. "Only nobles are allowed to eat at the table. By sitting on that chair as my familiar, you have declared that I summoned a noble. Some people are understandably skeptical."

"So everyone here is some level of noble? Huh, it sounds kind of unsafe to have this many nobles together in one place. What if someone attacks?"

The lady's blood ran cold at the thought. Certainly, no civilized country would attack, but what if those anarchist rebels attacked or a group of elves infiltrated? This academy would be a prime target! She quickly shook her head to dismiss the idea. "This is a school for magic, and the teachers are the finest in their fields. They would be able to take care of any malcontents that arise. Plus, we have the support of the Pope and Brimir and alliances with all of the nations around us. There's no way that anyone would attack."

The familiar stared down at his plate of food lost in memories. "Treaties are only as good as the people who are supposed to keep them. Not even alliances of marriage can keep peace when someone wants war."

Louise wanted to start an argument and defend her country's method, but couldn't find it in herself to be very forceful to another noble. Instead she gave a light huff and explained the simple truths of the matter. "It won't happen. Everyone benefits from this school for nobles. Magic is essential for keeping the peasants in line and Tristain academy is the best around."

Pieces slowly began to fall into place in his head and he gave a gasp when he grasped the situation. "Before… you said it was a school for magic that keeps the common people in line… And with the prayer to Brimir… This is a cult, isn't it?"

Louise spit out her drink in a very un-noble fashion. "This is most certainly not a cult! The church of Founder Brimir is very ancient and noble and righteous!"

"And I'm certain they would never use religious power to force a political agenda. After all, that manipulation is the sort of things that cults do."

"It's not like that!" her outburst echoed throughout the hall. As the reverberations died out, she continued in a blushing whisper. "they merely ensure that what is best is done. We would be lost without our founder Brimir's guidance."

"That really does not help your cult argument. Seriously, you sound like you're only a step away from the Score, and only because your cult leader doesn't have any real power."

The nearby students had scooted away from the arguing duo, with not a few having fled the dining hall entirely. "Brimir gave us magic! He made us noble! He's the only reason humanity hasn't been completely destroyed! If he hadn't been killed by a traitorous elf, humanity would be flourishing in the Holy Land!"

"Is that what you know, or what you've been told? You have to walk your own path. You will always be a child if you never take control of your own destiny."

A near silent growl escaped from her throat, but she said nothing. Disgusted with the conversation, she pushed away her plate and rose from her chair. Three breaths later, she finally spoke. "We're going outside. Second year mages have the day off to become acquainted with their familiars. I will spend it teaching you about Halkeginia and Tristania."

The crimson haired familiar stood, confidant that he had made his point. He had learned his lessons the hard way, hopefully she wouldn't need such drastic measures. "For her own sake as well."

-Courtyard-

"When you say that most mages are nobles, is that because of training or because of ability? Could anyone be a mage, but only nobles are trained? Or is it that the only people capable of ever casting spells are of noble blood?"

Yet another question challenging her view of the world. Her familiar was being quite the gadfly. "I almost wish that I had summoned a commoner, just so that I could freely punish him for his insolence." "Nobles become noble through the use of magic." Her patient explanation belied her inner irritation.

"You didn't answer my question!" Was that a trace of whining she heard in his voice? Even if it was imagined, it made her feel better about her own outbursts. "Where I come from, almost everyone can do magic, even if not for battle. If that's true here…"

That strike to her weak point broke her composure. "It's impossible, it has to be! If anyone can learn magic, then nobility means nothing! It's heresy! The world would break down! Such a world can't exist! Can't be allowed to exist!"

"Can it not? After all, I came from such a world and the nobility is strong despite lacking the exclusive claim to supernatural abilities. In fact, the nobility and nation as a whole is stronger and better for it."

She was on her feet. "When did that happen?" "It's impossible! There's no way some commoner could learn to do magic, otherwise it would have happened before."

"It has. That's exactly what your ancestors did to become noble, was it not? How about an experiment?" The familiar stood and motioned to one of the maids. As the peasant was approaching, the Valliere realized what was about to happen.

"Experiment that requires a peasant? Obviously he's going to try to teach her magic. It's going to fail, there's nothing to worry about, there's no way a peasant could learn magic when the noble daughter of the great Karin of the Heavy Wind can only make explosions!" Her thoughts completely failed to still her hand as it grasped her wand. "Nothing to worry about at all, he's not going to succeed… But what if he does?"

Before she even knew what she was doing, she was pushing all of her willpower into a spell. Said spell exploded in her face. The smoke obscured everything and for a single precious second, she thought that she had killed the blasphemous familiar and would be able to summon a more obedient servant. Then a voice broke the pleasant illusion.

"Damn it. I was trying to teach you to think for yourself, you drek! In return you try to kill me. You're going to kill thousands if you can't learn how to not be an idiot." The smoke faded and revealed her familiar, barely the worse for the wear and protecting the maid that he had called over. "And… Wait, did you get hurt by your own explosion? Can you not aim your spells?"

The familiar jibes sounded again. "Only Louise could summon a familiar she couldn't control… I best she just kidnapped someone to play the part… Zerbst probably roped in a cousin to play a prank on the Zero… Don't kill the familiar, Mommy isn't going to give you another if you break the first within a day!"

Tears stung her eyes. This was all his fault. Why wasn't he taking the blame. The frustration only grew as she looked at the sword in his hand and realized that she had no real way to enforce her will on the familiar. He was a noble of higher rank than her, obviously more skilled in magic than her, and he was capable of cutting her to ribbons whenever he felt like it. Honestly, it would have been better if she were his familiar, that way he would feel obligated to care for her. As it was, she likely just angered her superior in every way, familiar or not.

Of course, reason often takes a back seat to emotion. Rather than sacrifice her pride to save her life, she decided to do the opposite. She stood tall- as least as much as her stature allowed- and pointed her wand at him. Any intimidation she may have gathered was lost to the soot that covered her face. "Luke fon Fabre! I, Louise de la Valliere, challenge you to a duel!"

Now the whispers were saying entirely different things. "A duel between master and familiar?... Fabre? I'm checking the records… What is Zero thinking?... Is this even allowed?" The final two were sentiments that she thoroughly echoed in her own mind.

"Very well." She looked at his face and instantly regretted it. He had his Asch-face on and that always meant something bad for her. "I, Viscount Luke fon Fabre and God-General Asch the Bloody, accept your duel. Name your second and spend some time thinking for a change. As for myself, I have accommodation to prepare." The familiar left for the castle, followed by the blushing maid whom he had saved.

Louise, meanwhile, collapsed. "I just challenged a viscount to a duel when I have no control over my own magic. What have I gotten myself into?"

Outside of her mind, the jeering conversations continued with one word constantly repeated.

"Zero."

-Chapter 2 End-

I was surprised by the amount of people that want to see this keep going. Thanks for the words of encouragement. Leave a review if you like my work and want to see me continue it.

So many stories force in the duel with Guice. Well, I'm going to do things differently. This isn't a romance where the guy has to impress the girl, this is a contemplation of nobility and identity. Much better served to have the two characters fighting be the main characters of their sides. Things will be different. Not only is her familiar stronger than her in so many ways including magic, he is a legitimate noble of higher rank than her own. I'm not just changing the character and having everything remain the same, this is a full overhaul.

Luke and Asch were fused to give a more complete range of possible reactions. Luke by the end tends to only rarely get mad and is far too considerate to challenge Louise and make her grow. Asch is closer, but it would devolve into a shouting match much too quickly. In the middle is the solution.

After publishing an issues for RWBY, I think I'll finally get back to Link's adventures in avoiding harem. Unless something comes up, like an idea for a new story, or a swell of support for continuing an established one, or a squirrel. Dang things do a number on computers.