A/N: I...I really don't understand why you all like this so much haha. Like, the stats keep shooting upwards and I'm just like "behold, the power of doing OC!reborn!characters instead of making OCs~~". Wow. Um...thanks. Enjoy.
"What country were you all born in? Which country are you currently a citizen of?"
Well, the guy wasted no time in getting into the good stuff. Yamuraiha had to hand it to him, Feiste didn't flinch at all, even under the three mages' level gazes. Her examiner turned to her first, since she was sitting to the left. "Well? You answer first."
"I was born in Musta'sim, and if you're still considered a citizen even though you were going to be executed and all, I suppose I'm still a citizen of Musta'sim," Yamuraiha drawled. Her eyes were sharp, awake. She had to keep on her guard at all time, just put enough truth into her deceptions so that they seemed reasonable and were to an extent, true. She suspected that the potion she just took was a 'Truth Potion', or of the sort, and they would be able to tell if she lied.
When Feiste turned his gaze towards Lynn, the boy rolled his eyes and drawled in the same bored manner Yamuraiha had, "I was born in Reim and raised in Parthevia."
Yamuraiha blinked in surprise at the familiar sounding country. That was the country that Sinbad had come from, and from what she could recall, the country had become increasingly obsessed with one-upping Reim. That certainly was an interesting heritage.
The tester nodded his head and proceeded to prompt the third mage to answer, while Yamuraiha caught eyes with Lynn. She narrowed her eyes, not afraid to display her blatant hostility for the blonde out in the open. The interviewer may have missed it, but she had noted that Lynn specifically chose not to use the word 'citizen'.
Interesting. Then again, Yamuraiha could be overthinking things, but there was something about Lynn that told her the guy would be somewhat important. After all, every single good to honest fan of any fandom in her past life knew that if a character looked unusually handsome or stood out in some way, they'd play some kind of part in the story. She hadn't heard of anybody like Lynn from her memories of Magi, but then again, not much about the era in which the Eight Generals grew up in was known rather than the expositions from the Adventures of Sinbad, leaving a large gap in Yamuraiha's timeline of whatever she'd be doing.
"Next question. When were you born? Girl, start first again."
She inwardly cursed the fact that she had been stupid enough not to take the middle chair, where Lynn sat. Yamuraiha would have no time to prepare for the onslaught of questions.
"I don't know my real birthdate," she answered honestly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lynn look a bit startled. "I know that I am nine years old, however. My...friends back in Musta'sim guessed that my birthday was between January and February, based off of the astrological sign Aquarius."
(Yamuraiha kept it to herself that she was personally theorizing that Yamuraiha was a Pisces. No need to get astrological on them.)
(She also tried to ignore the small, nagging little voice in her head that reminded her that in her past life, she had been a Capricorn. In her past life...in her past life...no. She wouldn't think of it. Not anymore.)
The man wrote something down on a clipboard before proceeding to ask Lynn and the other mage, who both answered with a precise date.
"Describe all of your previous magic experience."
Oh. Shoot. Um...well, this was going to turn out great. The man was staring at her expectantly, and Yamuraiha could feel the sweat dripping down her forehead.
"I had known that I was of magician descent since I was very young. Those in Musta'sim did not hesitate to express their...displeasure of my lineage, after all," Yamuraiha said carefully, making sure that she spoke the truth. Damn that 'all' part of his prompting. "I began officially experimenting with magic when I just turned nine, although I suspect that I had previous encounters with magic accidentally that I was not aware of when I was a baby. That means I've been practicing magic for the past ten months or so, give or take."
Yep. If there was any kind of unimpressed look that her interrogator could give, that deadpan face was it. He was probably doubting the possibility of her being a spy now, though. Nobody in their right minds would send a nine year old with ten months of experience in magic as a spy.
Then again, he didn't know her work ethics that she had picked up from her past life. When Yamuraiha was determined to study something and take a test on it, she was damn right going to do well. Nor would he know about her mature attitude thanks to being reborn again. People only saw what was in front of them, and he saw a nine years old orphan. Although she was unaffected by the unimpressed look from her interrogator, the smug looks Lynn was sending her was enough for her fist to twitch temptingly.
"I've been practicing since I was ten, when I was exposed to a travelling magician who gave me a book as a gift. So I've been doing this for four years." Lynn answered curtly.
Yamuraiha shrugged off the triumphant smirk Lynn was sending her. Not her fault she was banned from magic in general. And that she was nine.
"Where do your loyalties lie?" The interrogator asked after the third mage answered the question.
Yamuraiha had never been so glad for the interrogator's vague choice of words until now. Mustering the uttermost sincerity that she could give, Yamuraiha tried conveying all of her (cliche) feelings for her friends and newfound family. "With the people I care about," she answered softly, allowing herself to at least give up this small piece of her softer side.
The interrogator paused, and instead of asking Lynn, he questioned Yamuraiha, "Your loyalties lay not with your country? Former, or potentially new one?"
"No," she admitted, keeping her gaze level as she met the interrogator eye to eye. Eye contact conveys confidence and sincerity, but too much expresses too much confidence. Levelly, she said, "I stand by those who I care about." Then, she glanced back up at the ceiling boredly.
There was a moment of silence before the interrogator moved on, and inwardly she patted herself on the back. She was proving herself to be trustworthy enough: there would probably only be one or two more questions about their background before they'd be screened for things like mental issues.
She had unfortunately spaced out, missing both Lynn and the third mage's responses to the question, but Yamuraiha didn't really care. She prepared herself for whatever might come next.
"Will any of you ever betray Magnoshutatt, in any way, shape or form? Indirectly or directly, will you cause harm, steal the secrets of, or trouble our country?"
…
…
Dang it. She hated being first.
Yamuraiha knew all eyes were on her, and it felt as if she was back in her past life all over again. The cameras were on her, everyone was watching, and if she messed up, things could go to Hell. Literally. She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying her breathing and listening to her heartbeat.
.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
.
Slowly, almost theatrically, Yamuraiha opened her eyes. Habits that she had long forgotten arose once again, and it was as if she could hear her father's voice in her head. ("Be a good girl and smile for the cameras, alright? Just smile sincerely, and everything will be alright. Nobody can do anything when you're smiling. Now, you know how I taught you had to smile…")
She smiled, showing her teeth and crinkling up her eyes and cheeks. Her eyes were still cautious, as one should be when answering such a question, but there was a light to her eyes and such a charismatic sparkle in them that one could not deny she was telling anything but the truth. It was a smile that told the person receiving it that she was to be believed, that she was sincere, that she was a good person.
After all, in both of her lives, she had raised herself to be a liar.
.
That was all she was, a liar.
.
"No, I will not," she answered, before dropping the smile and maintaining her indifferent expression. She did, however, turn her head enough so that she could watch Lynn perform.
"Of course I won't," Lynn scoffed, and by the lack of reaction from the interrogator, Lynn must have passed. However, when the third mage replied the same thing, the interrogator suddenly darted out his hand and muttered a spell.
Before Lynn or Yamuraiha could react, the man had turned into dust.
"We don't take well to spies," the interrogator muttered. "And I know exactly who you were, Lucas of Reim. Try learning how to lie better, next time."
Yamuraiha tried not to fidget, and it took all of the strength she could muster for her to stop herself from staring at the pile of dust for too long. She wasn't the only one who looked spooked, though. She could see that Lynn was trying his hardest not to stare as well.
Even though she had been putting on a cheerful and easygoing facade for Sera, Yamuraiha knew the truth: this was real. She could die again, right now, and that man's death solidified the feeling of reality that she was feeling.
"Have you ever experienced a life changing event that made you feel horror, fear, or helplessness?"
.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
("They found out. They found out. Did you tell them? Did you? DID YOU?")
.
Yamuraiha recognized this question from her past life. It was the beginning of PTSD screening. She carefully weighed her options in her head: answer truthfully and put more attention on her, or attempt to lie?
...the easiest thing to do was stick to the truth as much as possible. She wasn't confident in her ability to weave stories without getting trapped in them.
"Yes," she answered. She was surprised to see Lynn nod silently.
"Have you had repeated, possibly traumatic dreams?"
.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
("My daughter...where did you go?")
.
"Nightmares," she corrected quietly, closing her eyes and trying to drown out that feeling, the hopelessness and fear that had driven her to death. She tried to forget the feeling of death, its cool clutches and emptiness haunting her as it always did for the past nine years of this life.
"Yes," Lynn answered, keeping his response short and clipped.
"Can you descr-"
.
Thumpthumpthumpthump-
("Bye bye.")
.
"We're messed up, we get it," Yamuraiha snarled, feeling her fingernails dig into her skin as both Lynn and the magician jumped at her aggressive tone of voice. "Can we move on? You've obviously already come to the conclusion that we suffer from a bit of PTSD. Moving on."
The magician scribbled something on his clipboard before clearing his throat and continuing. "Very well."
(For the rest of the time, while the magician asked standard immigration questions ranging from spelling their name to their level of education, Yamuraiha's clenched fists were trembling.)
Lynn and Yamuraiha were escorted by Feiste, their interrogator, to a large courtyard. The two were herded into a group separate from the rest of the magician wannabes, probably for those coming from suspicious countries. Yamuraiha spotted a mane of white hair and shouted over the gossip and chatter of the other magicians, "Sera!"
Her friend turned around inquisitively, and when he saw Yamuraiha, his face immediately brightened as he waved at her. Her view of her friend was cut off as Sera was lost within the crowd of magicians, but it was comforting enough to see that he was doing well. She was about to open her mouth to ask Feiste something when the noise level in the courtyard suddenly dropped.
A group of Magnoshutatt officials emerged from a high balcony that overlooked the entire courtyard, and Yamuraiha's eyes couldn't help but widen when she recognized the figure standing in the center.
"Magician candidates," Mogamett's voice boomed, somehow managing to spread across the entire courtyard. It was probably some kind of voice amplifying spell, she supposed. Everyone immediately fell silent, the last of hushed whispers withering away to nothing. "You all are about to begin the first part of the preliminary exam. This test will also transition into the second part of the preliminary exam. Our magicians will be monitoring you all and assessing your magical potential. If you are not a magician, I suggest you leave now."
When nobody moved, Mogamett continued, "You all will be facing multiple trials today that shall test your abilities as magicians. Many have tried, and many have failed. However, if you manage to pass these tests today, the rewards can be endless." The grave man gave a nod at one of the magicians standing next to him, some kind of signal.
Suddenly, the entire courtyard was surrounded by flames. The fire rose far above the magicians on the ground, greedily reaching out towards them for fuel. Several people cried out in fear, but the flames vanished as quickly as they appeared. This wasn't just a petty demonstration, Yamuraiha quickly figured out. It was a show of dominance and power.
"Now...let the testing commence," Mogamett declared.
Feiste wasted no time. He pointed at Yamuraiha within the crowd of magicians. "Create a Borg. Now."
Within that second, a golden glow already surround Yamuraiha's body. That spell, after all, was the one that she practiced the most with. Creating a Borg nowadays was like second nature to her. This first part of the preliminary test would be a piece of cake.
Feiste maintained an apathetic expression despite the whispers that were coming from other magicians. "Keep it up," he intoned, and then motioned at some random other magician. "You. Make a Borg."
Although Yamuraiha's eyes were closed to keep her concentration, she could tell by the disappointed click of a tongue from Feiste that the magician had failed. She let herself relax, her body to stop being as tense as it was. (Well, she let herself relax as much as she could in a foreign place that held people who could smite her to ashes within seconds.) She allowed herself to take a seat on the floor, crossing her legs.
Faintly, in the background she could hear Feiste barking orders to all the rest of the magicians, and she felt Lynn sit down next to her (probably not out of personal choice, but the fact that Feiste told him to sit down immediately, damn it).
Yamuraiha wasn't sure about how long she spent, sitting there and trying to maintain the Borg for as long as possible. All she knew was that there were pained groans surrounding her from other magician candidates who didn't practice enough with their magic reserves and stamina, and there was the sound of footsteps as several people were escorted out of the courtyard.
She could still feel Lynn's presence beside her. Unfortunately, the guy was probably decent as magic, considering his breaths sounded just as even as they were in the beginning. Damn. She was hoping she could lord his failure over him.
Finally, when even Yamuraiha was beginning to feel the slightest of fatigue, Feiste's voice broke her concentration.
"Those who are left, you may stop. Follow me."
Several relieved sighs were released around her, and Yamuraiha opened her eyes to see Lynn staring at her.
"You survived until the end," he said, sounding half surprised.
"Yeah. You did too," she deadpanned.
"Tch." He turned away, but she could hear the tiniest hint of grudging respect in his voice.
For some reason, when she copied his actions and turned away with a "hmph", she couldn't muster the same amount of initial animosity that had been there in the beginning.
.
OMAKE
Disney Movie: MULAN
Song Based off of: "I'll Make a Man Out of You"
Scowling at all of her men, Raiha growled in annoyance. They weren't taking anything seriously. Rolling her eyes, she shot a bullet of water and stopped it right before she shot a frozen Sharrkan in the forehead. "Let's get down to business, to reforge the world."
Immediately, everyone stopped talking and saluted as she walked past them. Sneering, she grabbed the shirt of Lynn and pulled him closer. "Did they send me shoutas, when I asked for bishies?"
("O-oi!")
Letting go of the blonde, she whipped around and began to tap her finger against Sindbad's chest. "You're the saddest…" she increased the amount of strength as she stabbed his chest with her finger at every word. "...bunch I've ever met, but you can bet when I'm done with you."
Glaring at Sera, who cowered under her gaze and whimpered, she gritted her teeth. "Mister I'll...somehow...make a bishie out of you!"
Motioning for the entire legion to follow her, her ragtag groups of halfway baked bishies and shoutas followed her like a trail of ducks with their mother.
Instructing them, she explained, "Smooth talk like a lawyer, but speak with a hot, smexy voice."
Everyone nodded, taking notes dutifully.
"Once you find your host type, you are sure to win (her heart)." She pulled down a chart of characters from Ouran High School Host club and another chart of characters from a dating sim.
"You're a short, hot tempered, idiotic lot, and you don't even play the tsundere right…" She sent a not so subtle glance at Sharrkan. "Somehow I'll...find the charmer…inside you~"
"I'm never gonna attract a girl…" Sera muttered.
"Say goodbye to those who knew me," Sinbad winced, having been slapped and deemed a pervert by a group of girls he tried to flirt with.
"Why did I ever try to join this, again?" Nick wondered.
"This woman's got them whipped real bad," Ja'far muttered.
"Hope she doesn't see right through me…" muttered a random guy trying to escape.
("Oi! Get back here!")
"Why does she keep on thinking I'm a girl?" Lynn muttered to himself.
("Now, tell me what you guys are?")
"WE ARE MEN!"
"Keep up a smile whenever they're looking." She instructed, and glared at the men again, waiting for them to shout again..
"WE ARE MEN!" They all yelled, saluting and attempting not to cower under her glare.
"With all the charm of the great Usui~~~"
("...wait, what?" Nick deadpanned, but the other guys overpowered his question.)
"WE ARE MEN!"
"Don't forget to give a sexy wink~~ Be mysterious...well, mischievous types work too~"
A/N: Lol, so once again I emphasize that these omakes are omakes. They're short.
Request a Disney movie and even a song if you want.
That Mulan parody was written while waiting in the movie theatre to watch Suicide Squad (btw, totally on the DC ship~ sorry Marvel fans~). Don't judge. The syllables should generally work out, so feel free to sing to your heart's content~~~
ILY PEOPLE SO MUCH! I'll repeat it again and again, but omg you guys are just soooooo *insert heart emojis that fanfiction doesn't allow here*.
High five to all my shippers in the reviews~~~ I saw Nick/Raiha and Sinbad/Raiha. And perhaps Sharrkan/Raiha?
Quick addresses to questions/comments/etc. in reviews. I may have PM'd you reviewers already about it, but this is for the general public haha.
-"When she rejected seeing the price of the mustasim kingdom I was wondering if that would be Nick..." ~ Yes, yes it was. Lol that's the irony: if she wasn't so grumpy and tired, then she wouldn't have sent him away and instead could've got off canon character free. Sucks to be her.
-"I wonder if Raiha will be able to see Rukh in the future, since not being able to must be pretty hard for a magician." ~ Nope, sucks to be her. She's not gonna see 'em, ever.
-"I wonder if Lynn will be like Titus. It would definitely be interesting if Scheherazade had been sending spies before Titus." ~ Whoops, I was trying to make a shouta and thought of Len Kagamine and was like "screw it let's make him blonde". Then I realized that Titus was blonde. Sad to say that Lynn isn't going to be one of Scheherazade's agents, if plans go right.
-"I SHIP SINBAD/RAIHA!" "SINBAAAAAD I LOVE YOU!" "OMG SINBAD~~" ~ Lol okay, so that wasn't actually what was in the reviews, but I promise that despite what Raiha wants, she'll meet Sinbad in the actual story.
(Haha, where are my conspiracists/theorists? Let's start making ridiculous backstories for Lynn~~~ Or theories on Raiha's past life~!)
Thank you very much for reading~ Drop a review if you have time. :D