The cobalt glow faded from your hands easily as you pulled away. You supposed it was smart of them, to test you by having you heal sick patients. They got the data on your progress, and the patients got to be healthy again free of charge.
You had no doubt that this free healing would hit the media full force.
It was nice to be working with your own specialization again, rather than all the sequencing you'd been doing lately. They'd already tested that again, after all. You'd passed with flying colors.
Your impressed patient flexed his fingers several times, disbelieving. "The doctors said it wouldn't heal right." He whispered. "I can play again."
You wiped your sweaty hands on your pants as you left the room, waiting to be led to the next one. Your proctor stared at you as you emerged. "We've been at this for nearly five hours. Aren't you tired yet?" She demanded.
You shrugged. You were getting bored of healing so many small things, but you couldn't say you were running low on magical reserves. "Not really." You answered simply. "I've still got over half of my magic left. If you want to deplete it faster, you're going to have to give me something big."
She led you to the ER. You spent the next hour fixing everything from broken legs to gunshot wounds. Once blood got involved, you turned away, healing without looking. It was still disgusting. After you healed and woke up a recent coma patient, your proctor cut you off, asking to see your mage mark to check your reserves.
It was still glowing steadily. She shook her head at you. "I was cautious when I heard you'd earned your seventh rank only four years ago." She admitted. "Quite a few people try to rank up so quickly, even when they don't really have the progress for it. I don't know how you managed to improve this much so fast, though. I'll put the report in. They'll review it and you should get a new ID card immediately. Let's go to the academy so you can get that updated." She motioned to the stars surrounding your mark.
It was an interesting feeling, riding in a car after so long. Mages generally weren't allowed to acquire driver's licenses, so you had never driven yourself. Any sort of travel could be hard; it had taken three weeks after you put the request in before you'd been allowed to fly out to get re-tested. And that, only so quickly because you also had to register Chara as your student.
You still had to plan for the party your siblings were sure to force you to throw.
It was odd, being here again. Sure, you'd spent most of your life here within the safety of the Academy walls, but you'd grown accustomed to your life in Ebott. The noise, the food, the people. Monsters. It felt eerily empty not having any of those things around.
The heavy iron gates swung shut behind the car as it entered the grounds. You could almost feel the vehicle vibrate from the loud noise it made. It was odd. That noise used to make you feel safe.
It didn't anymore. Perhaps because you'd since learned that many dangers weren't on the outside of the walls.
The empty halls were also just as you remembered. The gloss on the flooring was slippery as you walked. Partly to steady yourself, and partly because you always had, you kept your hand on the wall, feeling the living bark shift beneath as you passed.
Your memory of the layout was lacking in the administrative part of the building, so you were grateful that your proctor was still there to show you the way. First, the tattoo.
Your Academy specifically traced ranks that way. Other academies used tattoos, but it was always something different. It was just another identifier.
Unlike most tattoo etiquette, the artist wasted no time before setting to work on your new star. There was no need to get comfortable here after all. You resisted the urge to scratch at the feeling as the tiny needles pierced your skin.
"'S freakin' crazy yer back already girlie. I 'member you." The man stated. You braced yourself as he activated his magic, searing the new mark into your skin and setting the ink. "Took it like a champ the first time too." He complimented before shooing you away.
Just the interview and paperwork left, and then you could go home.
Interesting how that word had changed so much in the past four years. 'Home' used to be here. Once, you had felt comfortable inside these walls.
The main offices were only a quick jaunt away. A light knock was all that was required from you as the door swung open of its own accord.
"Miss _. It has certainly been awhile." Headmistress Fiora greeted as the two of you shook hands. "Please, take a seat. Tell me," She ordered. "Your assignment ended over two years ago, yet you remain in Ebott. Why?"
"Because I like it there." You answered easily. "I have friends, a job I enjoy, and I generally don't have to be misleading with people."
"Monsters, correct? How are your interactions with them? I'm not asking for anything personal, mind you. I'm just curious, as they generally disregard us as a people." She added when you eyed her incredulously.
"They generally dislike the fact I have magic. My friends knew me before they found out I had it, though." You replied cautiously. "They are very guarded, and understandably so. They care a lot for other people though. I'm uncomfortable with continuing this line of questions, Headmistress."
She dropped it readily, instead moving to your new student and filling out paperwork related to them. "How did you do it? Can you recreate the sequence and process used?" Headmistress Fiora questioned. "It would be nice to have the ceremony on file again."
You agreed. You were beginning to regret it by hour two of explaining, but you couldn't fault them for wanting to know. It would have been immensely useful for you to know beforehand too. Once you were done, Chara's mark was registered in your file and they issued a student-level ID for the child alongside your new rank-eight card.
Thankfully, mage paperwork moved fast. It had to in order to keep up with the unreal expectations most of human society forced upon them.
You thanked the receptionist as she handed you all of your paperwork. You placed the folder carefully inside of your bag, making sure not to bend it, before heading back out the way you came.
The administrative building was quiet. You supposed it was normal, since the bulk of noise would come from the students and they were in another building. You made to reach for the knob of the door leading outside when a flare of static stopped you.
A too-loud bell rang out before you could leave, signaling a warning. Seconds later, the magic in the air flared to life as a barrier sprung up around the building. Just in time, too, as a loud bang sounded and the magic brightened for an instant as it blocked whatever had tried to pierce it. The Academy was under attack.
Which meant only one thing: lockdown. You weren't catching your return flight today. Time to go back to the offices so they could reschedule it.
With a long-suffering sigh, you turned around.
The next morning saw you checking in at airport security. You only had a small carry on with some clothes, since you weren't allowed to check anything. It was still frustrating as they turned your bag inside out, going through every possession you had with you.
Why were they allowed to do this with no cause just because you were a mage?
At least they didn't argue with you when you requested a girl for your inevitable strip-search, unlike the first trip. You found yourself wishing, not for the first time, that you could just magically cross the distance like some mages could. You couldn't sequence a portal without express permission though.
A neon bracelet found its way onto your wrist after you'd redressed, brightly declaring your mage status to anyone who cared to look. It certainly wasn't as bad as it could have been. If you were anything less useful in an emergency than a healer, they would have locked magic-disrupting manacles on your wrists for the flight as well.
As it was, you just had to deal with being squashed against a window by an unpleasant guard for the entirety of the flight.
You watched the safe, sturdy ground fall away from you as the plane took off. Why did you have to have a window seat?
Because otherwise they would need to pay two guards to watch you. Knowing the answer didn't make it any less annoying or nerve-wracking though.
You sincerely wished the flight attendant had bothered to give you a blanket or pillow. When you'd asked though, she'd taken one look at your wrist and replied that they were out. Which was a lie. You knew they had enough for almost double the amount of seats in the plane.
You hated liars.
There was very little you could do though, so you settled back against the window. Since you were so high in the air, the ground below looked just like a patchwork quilt. It was definitely an interesting sight.
You watched it go by for the rest of the flight.
Sans watched as Chara practically bounced out of their seat in anticipation. Your rescheduled flight was due back now and the child had just about had it waiting for you to arrive. He wasn't too patient either. You were supposed to be back last night.
Before they found out that the complex you were at was under attack.
He couldn't understand how bored you'd seemed over the phone when you'd let them all know why you would be later. You still wouldn't walk around after dark since the last incident unless Fuku was with you, so why were you so calm about this one?
Alphys had rationalized that you had been sure of your safety. Sans supposed that could be the case. He knew, as a member of the royal guard, that mages' academies were highly defensible places, near impenetrable without the use of nuclear bombs or tier eight magic and up.
They wanted to know what they were up against if mages turned on them again, after all. Over the years, though, the immediate need to know that information had faded, and Sans had forgotten until yesterday.
Chara tugging on his arm brought him out of his thoughts, following the young mage's excited gaze as they pointed.
Here you were, finally. Your hair was tied in a side ponytail and you were dressed much fancier than you usually were. You must have forgone your usual comfortable clothes. You stopped at the security station for a moment before stepping past the gate so they could greet you.
Your eyes lit up as you noticed them, replacing the weariness that had been present before. You seemed a bit overly excited to Sans. Had you not expected anyone to come and meet you?
One of your hands came up to twirl your hair on a finger absently as you approached. "Hey you." You greeted him with a smile.
Odd, that exact phrase was present on a list of flirts he had researched the other day. Since you had mentally scolded yourself for flirting with him, he'd decided to look it up and see if it was a bad thing. It wasn't. Were you purposely doing it now, unlike before when it had evidently been accidental? Or were you not realizing what you were doing?
You turned to Chara before he could respond. Neither of you spoke, but something passed between the two of you, as Chara bounced over to grab your hand and lead you away.