In Tristain's royal palace, Henrietta was waiting for her guest. Even though she was a queen, she never sat on the throne. She mostly did the king's work.
After the coronation was finished and she became queen, the number of things she was responsible for in the domestic and foreign areas greatly increased. Some were demanding loans, some were asking for donations in good nature, yet others asked for her to settle disputes, and Henrietta, from morning till night, was always meeting someone. And, because of the war, the usual amount of people coming to the palace and wishing to meet with the Queen was more than tripled.
Because she was always straining to show her dignity, she had became very tired. Even though the Cardinal Mazarini assisted her, she had to come up with the answers herself. It was too late for Henrietta to revert back to being a princess. However… for the new guest, she neither showed or made such expressions or attitude. A refrained voice called outside the room, informing Henrietta about the guest's arrival. Right after, that the door stood there, reverentially bowing her head. Next to her, Zero's figure could be seen wearing a sharp black dress suit.
"Louise, aah, Louise!" Henrietta ran up and embraced Louise closely.
Looking up, Louise muttered. "Princess… No, I have to call you Your Majesty now."
"I don't like it when you say it so formally. Louise Francoise. Aren't you my beloved friend?"
"Then, I will call you princess, as usual." Louise said with a small smile.
"Please do it for me. Aah Louise, I didn't want to be a queen. It is twice as boring. It is three times more straining. And ten times more worrisome." Henrietta muttered, looking bored.
"Its the price of command. When I was the commander of the Maverick hunters it was a pain. That's why after that one little emergency was dealt with I stepped down to just be a regular and totally unassuming hunter."
"Regular and unassuming?" Louise asked him with doubt in her voice. "I doubt you can do regular, Mr. Jump out of the window on your first day in my class."
After that, Louise became silent, waiting for Henrietta's words. This morning, the messenger from Henrietta came to the Academy of Magic. They boarded the carriage that Henrietta prepared and came here. 'I guess I was called for a specific reason' thought Louise. Is it about the 'Void' spell? However, she seems hesitant to talk about that.
Henrietta just looked into her eyes, not talking. Reluctantly, Louise said "I ought to give my congratulations on the victory". Louise tried to find a harmless topic to talk about with Henrietta.
"This victory was all thanks to you, Louise."
Louise watched Henrietta's face with a startled expression.
"You can't hide such a great secret from me, Louise."
"B-but I didn't do anything…" Louise still tried to pretend not to know.
Henrietta smiled and handed a report, written on parchment, to Louise. After reading it, Louise sighed.
"You scouted even that?"
"Well, since it is the battle with Albion, it was felt to be better not to overlook anything." After that, Henrietta faced Zero who had been more or less left out up till now. On the way there, he heard from Louise that Henrietta became a queen. He could tell it already was heavy on her shoulders.
"For controlling the foreign country flight machine that destroyed the entire enemy's dragon knight corps, I express my greatest gratitude."
"No… it's not like that. I did it for the people of Tarbes. "
"You are the hero of this country. So now I am giving you a noble's title… "
"I am not a hero, princess. I never have been," Zero said as he looked her in the eyes. "Please do not call me that again. Besides, what is this title for?"
"What?"
"What is the title for? What is its purpose?" Zero asked more clearly.
"It is to show your link to the throne and this country," Henrietta said as she met his gaze. "And an acknowledgment of your services."
"What is this title for?," Zero repeated. After a few moments he continued,"Power and control? To mark me as this countries weapon?"
"Zero!" Louise yelled at him.
Zero looked at the princess and shook his head."I told you to tell me if you heard anything about them. Why didn't you? I could probably have ended this battle a day earlier with far less casualties. And now you want to give me a leash called a title?"
"W-what?" Henrietta asked as she looked at him. This isn't what she had expected at all.
"A noble title, is fine and all. It helps to understand things. But why should I have a title. I have no land, I have no money. I have nothing except my person. I will not be robbed of my will. If you need a weapon, you can ask me. You are still a noble worth serving... But only I choose who I will fight for."
Louise's hand went to the back of Zero's head as she tried to force him into a bow. "Zero, apologize now! How can you be so rude to the princess when she's trying so hard? She's breaking every law about nobility to give you this title! Don't you understand? She's trying to do what she feels is right!"
"I do understand. But I will not accept a noble title just for that reason. All it stands to become is a weapon used against either you, the princess, or myself. And I do not wish to give anyone that weapon." Zero said calmly as he looked at the princess.
"I understand. So you will reject this noble title, so that you can do what you feel is right?" Henrietta asked him.
"Yeah," Zero responded.
"Very well then, Knight-Captain" Henrietta acknowledged.
"What did you say princess?" Louise shouted.
"Wait, what?" Zero asked after he stared at the girl for a moment. "Didn't I just say I wasn't taking your title?"
"You did. But from some interesting accounts of the survivors who happened to survive your previous battle, they seem to have reports of you controlling magic. Perhaps not familiar magic such as we know it, but magic. With that qualifier fulfilled, and your expressed loyalty, I welcome you to the ranks of the royal guard. This particular title is not an empty leash. And the only one who can issue an order to you is myself." Henrietta said as she placed her palms on his shoulders.
"I don't take orders very well princess. If I feel you're wrong, I'll tell you. If I feel you're going to get people killed, I will act against orders. In my organization I was the one they threw at the situations that couldn't get worse. I was also the one who they kept as far away from the politicians as much as possible because I hate their brand of lies and promises."
The princess looked at the series eyed Zero again. "That others would look at me so. Tell me when I'm wrong? Act against orders... Now I have no fear at all. One who would go against my orders in the name of what is right and just... You deserve this Zero, I truly believe this."
"What do I need to do?" Zero asked as he looked at her. He guessed he wasn't getting out of this. Normally that speech had always kept him from getting promotions in the hunters.
Princess Henrietta looked at him and smiled,"You must do nothing more than what you are doing now. But should I need you, I will call upon you and Louise. Your job as a captain of the royal guard, is to protect Louise and this fair country."
"Understood," Zero replied as he nodded.
The princess then turned to look at Louise for a moment, and said,"Great… a really great outcome. Louise Francoise. The way the battle has ended is all thanks to you and your familiar. There has never been such a victory in the whole of Halkeginia's history. By all means, Louise, you should be given a territory the a size of a small country and a title of duchess for this. And your familiar awarded with a peer's title."
"I d-don't need anything... this deed was my familiar's..." Louise muttered hesitatingly.
"Liar. You blew those ships up. Just let the girl know that you're a void mage. She's smart enough that if she doesn't have it figured out yet, then she'll figure it out anyhow. Oh, by the way. You owe me," Zero said as he looked at Louise.
The princess looked at the familiar with her mouth slightly agape.
"W-what! How can you say that in such a relaxed manner? And what do you mean I owe you?" Louise yelled at him.
"Well. Considering I've been made a captain, but my mission is to protect you, and you're going to be involved in my missions? Yeah. I'm betting that's not normal. Therefore I'm now a paid bodyguard for you instead of an unpaid one. So I'm betting she's already figured it out. Took her a lot longer than me. But then again, I have a more objective point of view. And what you owe me? You owe me this... say... 'You were right, Zero. My power is unique' go ahead. Say it." He said poking her forehead with his finger.
"Hey, Stop it! You're being mean in front of the princess!"
"So you were the cause of the light , Louise? That light was called a miracle of the castle, yet I do not believe in miracles. The light came from the flying machine that you were flying in. I had thought, and I had hoped it was you. But this confirms it... Although... Zero, how did you know already?" she asked him.
"Well, that's the thing. I watched the classes. Everyone couldn't do every spell, but magic always happened. It just effected how everything failed. You tried to transmute dirt into rock, you'd get mud if you were a water mage. You wouldn't break down the bonds that held the dirt together. Void can be considered a state of nothingness. Its a word that is used to describe the place between the stars. While fitting for that, if the word was used to describe an element of your magic, it has to mean something. Within three days of being here I figured it out. But nobody wanted to listen to a stupid familiar. Right Louise?" Zero said a cocky smirk on his face. She looked at the floor.
"I don't think anyone could call you stupid, Zero. Then you know why I am asking you to guard her?"
"Power draws battles. Be they physical, political, or mental. She'll be drawn in. I'm supposed to be her shield." Zero said lazily.
"I have never heard it quite that way... But yes. That is exactly it." the princess nodded. Her friend was in good hands.
"Stop talking so familiarly with the princess! You may not show me the respect I deserve, but she is the princess!" Louise shouted finally.
Zero looked at his little master. He knew that she didn't care how he treated her. But the princess did seem important to her, so he figured he'd help educate her on true leadership. "Ya know Louise, I have a question for you."
"What is it?" She asked, her tone heavy with annoyance.
"What says that I have more respect for someone? Believing that they aren't able to handle what I need to say, so I either decieve them or beat around the bush, or try and handle it myself... Or someone who I feel can handle the truth of the matters at hand, and can make intelligent and responsible decisions where I talk to them as an equal?"
Henrietta intently watched Louise.
Louise's face looked up to meet Zero's. "So, you're saying... that you respect the princess?" Louise asked him.
"Enough that I'd be a lot less blunt with company I don't know around her. I know how to deal with people being higher ranking than me. But in such a small meeting, it only gets in the way. If we stand on station when its just the three of us, we'd be too afraid to give her common sense. Because sometimes in higher positions of power, you start losing that,"
"Are you insulting her? Do you think she'd lose sight of what's right?"
"No, but when you look at the big picture too much, you start losing focus on the little one. IF you can't accept or understand the smaller picture, just how are you supposed to deal with the big picture? Its the job of the people below you to drag your head down to earth and make you listen. In a large meeting, more respect and tact is shown. But with a good leader, there is no need to stand on such pomp in a smaller meeting."
"I believe you are correct Zero. You are a font of wisdom. I would have never expected that from one so young." she said, with a warm smile on her face.
"So young, hmm, so you forgot?" Zero asked with an amused smile on his face.
The princess looked at Zero for a few moments with a puzzled look on her face, then gasped."You had said you were over three-hundred years old, didn't you?" She asked. "But even so, I can not see that. While wise, you are very much a young man."
The princess looked at Louise, and handed a book to her. "Founder Brimir gave rings to three children from three royal families to keep as a treasure. Tristain got the 'Water Ruby' and Founder's Prayer Book, which are now both in your possession. It has been handed down like this among the royal families. Royal families were the ones that inherited the Founder's power."
"I am not from a royal family though, princess. I do not deserve this." Louise commented as she studied the volume that the princess had handed to her.
"The ancestor of Duke de La Vallière was the king's illegitimate child. And you are the Duke's child. You are very much a royal noble."Henrietta laughed at the look on her friend's face"You, too, have the Tristainian Royal Family's blood. And that is good enough."
After that, Henrietta took Zero's hand. Seeing the runes, she nodded. "This is the sign of 'Gandálfr'. The sign of the Familiar that Founder Brimir used for protection while casting spells."
"Then… I am really a 'Void' user?" Louise asked. Even though she thought... To be the same as the founder?
"I think it really is so." The princess said with a warm smile on her face.
"Didn't I already tell you?" Zero replied with a hint of laughter as well.
Louise sighed.
"That's why you understand that I cannot reward you as you should be rewarded, right, Louise?" Henrietta answered with a clouded face. Her friend looked down, and the princess looked at her with pity. "If I were to give the reward, Louise's secret services would be exposed in the daylight. That would be dangerous. Louise's power is too big. Even one country could not manage such power. If an enemy learned about Louise's secret, they would become frantic about it and would do anything to get it. I alone should be the enemy's target."After that, Henrietta sighed. "Enemies are not the only ones interested in 'Void'. Even inside the palace… those who know about that power, will always try to use it for their own purposes."
Louise nodded with a scared look on her face. But she had to admit the thought of other people thinking her useful would be better than being merely a zero.
"Therefore, Louise, you should not talk to anyone about that power. Your secret is safe with me."
Then Louise thought for a while…And, in a slowly determined way, she opened her mouth, "Don't worry princess. I want to dedicate my 'Void' to you."
"No… it is all right. You must forget that power as soon as possible. And never use it again."
"But… Princess I want to help you with the powers I have been granted!"
However, Henrietta shook her head. "Mother said, great power drives people mad. Who could be sure that you, after gaining the power of 'Void', would not turn out the same way?"
"So I'm mad then?" Zero asked her with a lazy smile.
"W-what? I didn't say that... That's not what I mean,"
"Void mage or not, I'm still more powerful than her. And I have been for hundreds of years. If what you say is true, then should I not be corrupt? Should not my partner X have been corrupted? To the day X died he was the only person I looked up to. As long as you have people who you can look up to... People who treat you as the person you were before you got your 'power' you'll be fine. Its only when you separate yourself from everyone with your power that you corrupt yourself. And if Louise tries to do that I'll likely just smack her upside the head." Zero said as he playfully tapped Louise's head.
"Hey!" She shouted, but blushed. Louise proudly lifted her face. It was the face of a person who had decided her mission. However, such a face was somewhat dangerous, as Zero knew. "I always wanted to dedicate my power and body to princess that I love. I was taught so, I believed so, and I grew up with that. However, my magic always failed. As you know, I was nicknamed 'Zero'. Behind sneers and contempt, I was always shaken with regret." Louise clearly asserted."However, the Founder gave such power to me. I, myself, believe in using this power. Still, if you say that Your Majesty will not need it, then it is necessary to return my wand to Your Majesty."
Henrietta was touched by Louise's speech. "Louise, I understand. You are still… my best friend. From the times when you helped me on Ragdorian's lake. You took the blame for me…"
"Princess..."
Louise and Henrietta tightly embraced each other. Zero, who was thankfully left out, swung his head absentmindedly. Was this normal for a teen girl? Or were these two just crazy… he thought, though he didn't say that. Though it was nice to help Henrietta…She had a kindness about her that was endearing.
"After this, I will help Louise too."
"Naturally, princess."
"Then the 'Founder's Prayer Book' belongs to you now. It is said to be of use to only the chosen wielder. It is blank, and was written with the power of void magic. I believe you to be the only person who can figure out how to make use of this treasure. However Louise, promise me. Don't tell anyone that you are a 'Void' user. And do not use it recklessly, either."
"Of course princess. To do otherwise would bring shame upon you."
"After this meeting, you will become my court lady and will obey only me."
Henrietta then took out a quill pen and smooth parchment. After that, she signed the document and put down the quill pen.
"Take this. This is my formal permission. With this, whether in the royal palace, or inside or outside the country, you will have supreme authority over everything, even over the police. If there is no freedom, one cannot work well."
Louise reverently received the permission with an expression of gratitude. Henrietta's authorization. This meant that Louise was granted with the right to act in the queen's name.
"If I will face a problem that only you can solve, I will surely consult you. Officially, please act as a student of Academy of Magic like you have up to now. Since it is you, you will, without a doubt, do well." After that, Henrietta turned towards Zero. Having an idea, she fumbled within the pocket of her dress. When she took out some golden coins, Zero sighed. "I ask you to look after Louise…my important friend, kind Knight-Captain."
"Why would I need those?"
"By all means, please accept it. Giving you this as a sign of "Knight-Captain" is the least that this powerless queen can do. You showed your loyalty to me and to the country. This should not be unrewarded." Henrietta said with sincere eyes.
"I suppose having money wouldn't hurt. Not that I've had any use for it in the last hundred years, long as there isn't any karaoke bars around." Zero said with a laugh.
"Ka-ray-ok?" The princess asked
"Heh, something from home princess. Something some old friends used to drag me to. It involved singing to popular songs and drinking traditionally, but seeing as people like myself can't get drunk... we mostly just sang." Zero laughed. That was the one thing humans had on reploids Zero thought, the ability to become drunk while singing. It had to make the embarrassment more bearable.
"It sounds fun very fun," Henrietta said as she looked at him.
"They thought so. It was also a wonderful time to set me up with a girl I worked with, Layer. That always made it even more awkward for me. Especially when X and myself lost a bet with Alia... And we had to do a really really really... Really stupid dance and song number. I swear to god if time travel is ever created I will go back in time and kill the creators of that obscene Caramelldansen." Zero said as he shook his fist.
"So, wait. You can sing? Can we hear?" Louise asked, finally glad to have some ammunition to use against Zero.
"No. No. No. I can not sing, and you can't make me. Besides, I don't know any songs in this language anyhow, and translating songs directly into another language kills their meanings. Not that X or Alia allowed me to pick songs. "
"What do you mean pick songs?" Henrietta asked.
"Ah, in Karaeoke you had lists of songs to choose from. A lot of them actually. They said the songs that I chose didn't fit the fun atmosphere. The only one who let me sing anything I was even remotely interested in was Layer. And she stopped voting for my songs after Gunslinger. They said that mine were too close to work. Besides, I was pretty bad." Zero said as he remembered the look on their faces when he had sung that song. He hadn't thought he was that bad...
"I see..." The princess said as she looked at Zero. "Well, no matter. I give this to you, as your first pay, and bonus. Without you and your master, Tristian would surely have fallen. Accept it as token of my gratitude."
"No problem. Thank the people who make this a place worth protecting." Zero replied.
"Louise, my dear friend, I am so glad i was able to see you today... But my duty as the queen calls. Hopefully we can see each other soon"
***Break***
"Really you are far too familiar with the princess," Louise said as the left the palace grounds. While she objected to the actions of Zero before, she couldn't help but feel some jealousy over the easy way he interacted with the princess. The only problem she had, is she couldn't even tell who she was more jealous of in that situation...
"What do you mean?"
Louise stared up at Zero."You shouldn't treat the princess like that."
"This again? Hey Louise. Knight-Captain... that was Wardes' rank correct?"
"Yes..." Louise replied testily.
"Do I out rank you now?"
Louise looked at him momentarily, then turned her head up. "I am the queen's lady. I can only receive orders directly from the queen!"
"And? I was told I can only be ordered by the queen as well. So that means I'm your equal?" Zero said, poking her forehead. While he knew the probable outcome this would bring, he was bored and she was annoying him.
"You might be a noble now...But you're still my are not from this world. You know the princess is a good person, and she's trying her best. I will not let you act like that in front of her..."Louise averted her face and started walking leaving Zero behind. If Zero was the same as her... Her equal...
"Alright. Alright. If its that important I'll try to be better about it." Zero replied, rolling his eyes. She stomped forward trying to leave him behind. He had to struggle not to laugh.
Louise bumped hard into a man. A man, who looked like a mercenary, collapsed. In his hand he had a large rough jar of hard liquor, which he was gulping down vigorously. He seemed to be completely drunk in the middle of the day, in public. She shook her head and tried to pass,but he grabbed her hand.
"Wait, Miss. You ought to apologize for bumping into a person in the middle of the street."he said with a slight slur.
Then another man, who also seemed to be a mercenary, noticed Louise's mantle and muttered "A noble, huh?"
However, the man who was clasping Louise's arm didn't move."Today is the festival celebrating the victory at Tarbes. Put aside the rank. Today nobles, mercenaries and salesmen are equal. Hey, Miss Noble, how about sharing one drink with me as an apology for bumping into me? We can maybe get to know each other a little better!" Saying this, the man thrust out his jar.
"Let me go! You brute!" Louise shouted. The man's face became distorted with rage at once.
"What did you call me. Hey! Who do you think attacked Albion's army in Tarbes! 'Holy Woman' or nobles like you, no, us – soldiers! It seems the little girl here needs to learn a lesson!"he laughed.
The man reached out to grasp Louise's hair. However, his hand was stopped, and a few cracking sounds resounded.
Zero, who showed up right before their eyes, firmly gripped the man's hand, adding more pressure.
"My hand... Ah, what the hell?" The man shouted as the youth that held his hand twisted and brought him to one knee as he was forced to let go of Louise's hand. "Let go. Let me go!" he said, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"What do you think you're doing? Bullying a young girl like this. Seriously pathetic. You must be really weak if you have to cause this type of problem," Zero said as he met his gaze.
The second man noticed the sword on Zero's shoulder, with a look of surprise. The experience that he gained through battlefields in many years, told him that Zero's attitude wasn't just a bluff."We'll be leavin young master."
"Not without me letting go of his hand. Unless of course he's not that attached to it. I'm not done talking to him." Zero said with a glare that cowed the second mercanry. "Now. You're drunk, in public, acting the fool. Then you were dangerously close to assaulting my charge." Zero's hand tightend further eliciting a scream from the bravo."So tell me. Just what reason do I have not to turn you into the authorities?"
"Damn you, noble," he said as he glared up at him."Without your magic you wouldn't be nothin! You hear?" the drunk man stated.
"Last time I checked, I'm not using any magic. I suppose you're too drunk or stupid to understand so..." Zero's hand flashed out robbing the mercenary of consciousness. Zero turned to his friend,"Get him out of here."
"Yes sir." The mercenary nodded vigorously then half picked up his comrade and made to leave.
"Zero... thank you..."
"Its fine. I hate people like that anyhow." Zero said as he was about to walk off, he noticed that Louise was just staring at the ground. After a moment he asked,"OK, what's wrong?"
"This is.. its my first time out with so much of a crowd... I'm a little scared..." she said, her voice shaking. If the maid could do it... So could she!
"Hmm... Do you want to go back to the academy?"
"N-no... I want to be here... But I'm still scared. I feel like I'll be swept away in this current of people... Would you, hold my hand?" She asked, as she looked up at him.
Zero looked into her eyes and sighed. Zero silently took Louise's hand. And began to walk.
"Are you angry?" Louise asked in a small voice.
"A little. It isn't at you though," Zero answered mildly.
The way his hand felt in hers made Louise flustered for a moment. Does Zero feel the same? However, because Zero walked straight ahead, she couldn't see his facial expression.
Louise followed while being dragged.
Louise, while walking and holding hands with Zero, cheered up. The town was filled with colorful festivals, joyful shows, food carts and stalls where unusual goods were sold were stretched all the way down the street.
Being a local lord's daughter, Louise never walked in such a lively town this way. More so, she never walked in a town holding hands with someone of the opposite sex. Those two things combined, made Louise's head light and dizzy.
"So noisy," Zero said.
"True," Louise muttered happily.
"Never seen anything like this."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I normally just did my work as a hunter. Or a resistance member," Zero said simply.
While saying so, Zero's eyes turned distant. Louise tightened her grasp on Zero's hand. Somehow the thought about Zero some place, fighting alone made her feel bad. Someday the time when Zero leaves, will surely come. However, when walking together this way, the one that I want you to see is me, Louise thought. Just for now. And nothing else matters. And at the same time she was angry at herself for thinking that way. Because of love? He was a noble now. He answered directly to the queen. He was high enough that... He was high enough that she could take him home with her. High enough that even her mother would have no complaints. And if she did challenge him...A blush spread across her face. She knew that Zero would win. Suddenly something drew her eyes, as she stopped and looked at a shop that they were about to pass.
What is it?" Zero asked as he turned around. Louise had stopped.
Louise was looking at a jewelry shop. There, on a cloth, various rings and necklaces were displayed. Behind the merchant, there were also a good deal of dresses and other pieces of expensive clothing. Many had gems and crystals woven throughout.
"Do you want to take a look?" Zero asked, and Louise, with a blush on her cheeks, nodded.
Seeing two people approaching, a merchant with a turban on his head rubbed his hands together.
"My! Please come in! I see you are a noble miss. We have rare goods to offer. This is made from "Wrought gold" and it is not a sham."
The presented jewels were suited for nobles to wear; beautifully ornamented to satisfy the most various tastes.
Louise took a pendant. It was a pure-white pendant, carved in a shape of a shell. There were a lot of big jewels placed around in a crescent shape. However, upon closer inspection, the jewels were nothing but cheap crystals. Still, Louise liked this shiny pendant. Within the atmosphere of noisy festival, filled with quality goods, such a showy one attracts attention.
"Do you want it?"
Louise shook her head embarrassed. Why had he asked that?
"We'll take it then."Zero said as he looked at the man. "How much?"
"Ah, young love. To be that age again. For that, I shall cheapen it to a mere four gold."The merchant sweetly smiled.
Zero looked at the girl who was staring at it in wonder."Yeah. sure. It will be fine."
Zero reached into his pocket. He silently counted four coins and removed them from he pouch."Here."
The merchant was surprised that it was Zero who was carrying money. "T-this is! This is splendid." Taking up four gold coins on which an old king's portrait was carved, the merchant passed the pendant to Louise.
Louise was taken aback with surprise, her cheeks unintentionally loosened up a bit. The first thing that Zero did with the money given by Henrietta was shopping for me. She was very happy. After it was in her hand for a while, she cheerfully put it on her neck. "It suits you well", said the merchant gracefully.
"You earned it," Zero said with a gentle smile, then turned back to look at the wares thoughtfully.
I want Zero to have a look, she thought while pulling his sleeve. However Zero, whose attention was on some of the clothes that were behind the merchant.
After a few moments, Zero nodded, then looked back at the merchant and asked "I also need to buy some clothes for a friend of mine. She's been a bit displaced. She has money, but due to an accident on the road, what she has in the way of clothing is minimal. If I were to write down the rough measurements she has would you be willing to assist me in replacing some of them?"
"Ah, of course. Of course young noble," the merchant said with a smile. It looked like today was going to be an incredible day.
***Break***
"Hey Roll!" Zero called from the main part of the lab.
"Hmm, Zero, what are you doing with all those boxes?" Rock asked Zero.
"Ah, picked some stuff up for Roll. Figured she might want some clothing to wear, aside from her dress."Zero replied as he placed the boxes on a nearby counter.
"Hmm. That's an awful lot of stuff. Does your job here pay well?"
"Oh, I got another job." Zero laughed.
"Oh, What's that?" Rock asked him curiously.
"Oh, I'm Louise's bodyguard. I'm also a noble now I suppose. I only answer to the queen." Zero laughed at the strangled sound Rock made.
"You're a noble now? How?"
"Because of my part in the battle against the invading Albion forces mostly." Zero said."And my favorite 'don't promote me I'm not officer material' speech backfired like hell," he added with an amused chuckle.
"Ah. I wish it hadn't come to that, Zero." Rock said regretfully.
"So do I. But if we hadn't fought back, they would have killed a lot more people who had absolutely no intention of doing anything but living their lives peacefully. They burned a village that was peaceful and happy." Zero said, his eyes hard at the damage and destruction caused."Although, for the first time I saw nobles doing their jobs. A majority of the town was at least mostly repaired with magic. It didn't look easy either."
"Well, energy is in fact energy Zero. Magic as they call it is likely some form of controllable energy that has been harnessed by an adaption within the local humans. So in a way, its probably not even 'magic' in that its not an unexplainable event. We would just need more information on the matter," Rock said with remarkable insight.
"Rock..." Zero shook his felt a small amount of moisture on his face.
"Zero, are you alright?" Rock asked, unsure about the small stream of tears running down Zero's face.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Its just like talking to X though. He would have been proud of you." Zero said as he looked at the main monitor.
"Zero, what are you doing out here?" Roll asked, as she noticed the boxes that he had brought in and placed on one of the counters in the lab. As she cocked her head to look at his face she gasped,"Are you crying Zero?"
"No, of course not." Zero said as he turned toward the packages he had brought."I just brought some stuff for you. All the girls in the Maverick hunters gave me quite a few lectures on the differences between men and women... And well, I know just having your dress is probably a hassle. So with the reward I got from the princess I decided to get you a few things. I used the information I remembered from your activation to make sure they would fit."
Roll felt herself blush a little as he said that... My information... She shook her head. "T-thank you. But could you try and forget that information?" she asked laughing nervously as she walked up to see what she'd gotten.
"I didn't really pick anything out... Well not much. The store clerk kinda went to town when I gave them a price range..." Zero laughed a little.
Roll was opening up the various packages and looking at them. These were beautiful. The rustle of the clothes as she picked them up, the detailed embroidery and the tasteful elegance... She'd never gotten anything like this before. Her simple red dress had always been enough."Thank you Zero. You didn't have to do this," Roll said as she smiled at him.
"What can I say. Its about the only thing I can do. Besides, I've heard a few of those brats ask why you only ever wore the exact same thing," Zero said with a laugh.
"Well, you do the same thing," Roll said as she pointed at his clothing.
"Yeah, but they're a little more wary of me. For the life of me I can't figure it out" Zero said with a smirk.
"I can't see why," Roll said, as she rolled her eyes at him. as she was sorting through the clothing, her hands found a smaller carved wooden box. "Hmm, what's this?" she asked as she opened it up. Her eyes opened in wonder.
"Oh! That," Zero said, laughing a little nervously. "Well all the noble brats around here have jewelery, and the crystals were about the same blue color of your eyes... They kinda reminded me of you, so I got them. They're not real earrings though... I didn't know if you'd want to actually pierce your ears. They're just pressure attached with clips," Zero said as he rambled on while Roll continued to stare at them.
"They're beautiful," Roll said as she looked at them."You really got them for me?"
"Well, yeah. Not like I have much else to do with money," Zero said as the girl in front of him looked up at him.
"Thank you, Zero." She said with a smile on her face.
"So, do I get some new clothes and jewelery too?" Rock asked teasingly.
"Hmm. Well, I suppose we can arrange for that, right Roll?" Zero said with a wicked grin on his face that made Roll laugh.
"Well... It is done, and it passed its checks. So yeah, we probably could." Roll said seeing the mischief in Zero's eyes. Her brother, X's, best friend. A weapon made by Wily, who had also made the weapon Bass. She could see no real resemblance. In form, or mind. While he might have been made by Wily, that didn't matter. Who he was, was more important, and she'd stay by his side.
"I suppose its time for another trip into town?" Zero asked her.
"Yes, I suppose so, we'll be back Rock. Keep an eye on the place." Roll said, trying not to laugh, but failing horribly.
"Wait, what are you guys talking about. Why are you laughing?" Rock asked, puzzled.
"Oh, you'll find out. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," Roll said to her brother.
Rock suddenly had a very, very bad feeling about this.
***Break***
It was black. What had happened? The last thing he knew, Zero was at the computer, and the next his program had been deactivated. His body felt heavy. After a few moments that thought shocked him to almost consciousness. Body? He wasn't supposed to have a body!
"It looks like she's waking up,"Zero said with a laugh. Roll said something, but she sounded too far away to hear the words clearly.
"Opening the Capsule... again." Zero stated.
"What happened? What did you do?" Rock asked. His voice seemed different. It sounded like..."Why am I Roll?"
"Ah. Well, we changed a few things in the body. Its not running from the same electronic brain it used to. Its running on a lower powered short term module. It gets around the lower capacity parts without threatening the system. Its a way for you to have a body." Zero said, while wearing a grin that he couldn't seem to help. He chuckled a few times.
"You see Rock, we figured out a way to allow you to have a body, but at the same time, give you a test run on having the mental capacities Dr. Light intended. And in my old body, with the offensive capabilities blocked off, you'd be unable to really hurt anyone as long as we're around," Roll said as she looked down at him, a kind smile on her face.
"I... see. I guess I can understand that. What's so funny about this, though?" Rock asked as he looked at Zero's face again.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all Miss Rock," Zero said again, trying to hold in the laughter.
Rock looked down, and suddenly felt that the computer was a much safer place. He was in a darling white dress, that was quite possibly the laciest thing he'd ever seen. He saw a necklace, with a pink quartz heart inlaid at the center of it that matched the embroidery on the em of the dress. "Zero..." Rock said calmly.
"Yes, Miss Rock?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"Is that all Miss Rock? I'm sure I can find a wand for you. We could then call you magical girl, Miss Rock. It would certainly fit with your current style," Zero replied back, sounding entirely serious.
"Oh! I can help! I saw a sailor suit while we were out today! If I tailored that correctly and we got a crystal to go in the center it would look so pretty! And I can even come up with a theme song we can sing!" Roll said, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Roll, you're a genius! Absolutely a genius. Although, I think you went a little light on the makeup," Zero said.
"Well, Rock is pretty enough, she shouldn't want more than that, unless she's really looking to announce that she's desperate. And Rock is young enough, that she shouldn't be looking that hard," Roll said, breaking down in a fit of giggles.
"My wrath shall be fierce and unavoidable..." Rock said, as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the nearby sink.
***Break***
Louise, who was waiting in her room for Zero, was lying on the bed, looking at the Founder's Prayer Book while humming. While she had been reading it, she'd noticed that the first few pages were written in a flowing script that was revealed by the light of the ring the princess had given her. It was the spell she had chanted in the plane. Unfortunately, every time she'd tries casting the spell she fainted.
Louise looked out the window. She'd seen Zero and Roll leaving earlier. She had asked them where they were going, and when they told her "trouble" and asked if she wanted to come along she declined. The fact that they invited her meant that it wasn't anything serious between them. And so here she was, in a wonderful mood. Zero had bought her that necklace. He'd been nice to her. She blushed as she looked at the pendant.
Zero ran in the room, locking the door behind him. He was fairly certain he'd gotten away from Rock. He had known that this outcome was a distinct possibility. He also knew he was a lot faster than Roll's old body. Roll had simply locked herself in another room. Zero was surprised how well Rock had handled that broom of hers.
"Zero... what are you doing?"
"Oh, I was just running from justice." Zero said with a grin on his face.
"What?"
"Well myself and Roll decided to play a little prank on someone. They didn't take it so well," Zero said, laughing almost uncontrollably.
"Who?" Louise wondered just who would make Zero run away.
"Oh, its hard to explain." Zero grinned.
"Right... So you're not gonna tell me?"
"No, you didn't wanna be a part of it. Probably for the best too." Zero said, as he started laughing again.
"Zero," Louise said as she looked at her familiar.
"Yeah?"
"I've been reading this book..."she held up the prayer book for him to see.
"That things blank isn't it?"
"No... When its exposed to the ring that the princess gave me... the ring glows and text appears. well, at least on the first few pages with the explosion spell... But every time I try it, I end up fainting.
Zero looked at her seriously, then asked, "Isn't fainting one of those things that happens when you accidentally use up too much willpower?"
"Yeah. I fainted a while ago because I overworked and used up my willpower. The spell was too strong and my willpower was insufficient."
"Then, why were you able to cast it the other day?"
"Well really... I wonder why myself."
"How does willpower recover?"
"Basically, it recovers while sleeping."
Zero thought while folding his arms together."Well, up until now, you haven't used many spells correctly?"
"Well, yes." she said, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"Therefore you collected a lot of willpower, right? And that time you used it all up at once."
Louise made a startled face.
"For instance, let's assume that your willpower is 100, a nice round number. The 'Explosion', consumed all 100 at once. While usually the willpower is recovered while sleeping at night, the amount needed is too large for that particular spell. Since it is as much as 100, you cannot store that much just with one night of sleep." Zero plainly stated his hypothesis.
Louise's face was serious as she pondered her familiar's logic."It might be so.."
"But, as its explained, if you can access a line level of magic, that same cost would be reduced to 50, if you become a triangle mage it would lowered to 25. If you became a square mage it would be 12.5. And if you mastered all the elements, you'd be what, a pentagon mage? that would make it 6.5. At this point, you're probably going to have some capacity issues until you end up unlocking your other potentials. But you'll get it, eventually."Zero said as he ran through a logical sequence with what he knew of the magic of this world. Magic was in fact governed by rules which bound it. He probably wouldn't have come up with this thought if not for Rock's inadvertent insight. He almost regretted his actions earlier. Almost.
"That... makes sense. But can we really understand the Void so easily?" she asked.
"Who knows? We'll just have to find out. You took the first step like I knew you would. You'll do fine." Zero said as he looked out at the moons. "Well, its getting late, you should probably get some rest."
"Alright. Zero, please don't sleep on the floor again. You're a noble now... And as such, it would be unfitting for you to sleep on the floor." Louise said, while biting her lower lip.
"Its not really that important."
"Yes, it is. You're my familiar. As such, its my responsibility to see you treated as you should be. You're a proper noble now. You will not sleep on the floor like a dog. I will not allow it." She said in a commanding tone that lacked the hostility that she usually had when she was feeling her 'power' as a noble.
"You're not gonna go to sleep until I agree, are you?"
"Of course not! This is a matter of principle!"
"Of course it is." Zero sighed.
"Well?" Louise looked at him expectantly.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming." Zero said as he made his way over to the bed. Easing the metallic boots off, he settled in silently next to Louise.
Louise looked at Zero. If the maid could do something, so could she. They were both nobles after all, and both served the princess directly. She slowly slipped her arms around Zero's chest and placed her head on his shoulder. When he stiffened at the contact she said,"Don't mistake my intentions on this. The bed is rather small, so its easier for us to fit this way."
"Ah... right," Zero said doubtfully, as he felt the pressure from Louise's arms increase. It was going to be a long night.
***Author's notes***
Notes on Zero/Roll/Rock: In my opinion, below the armor, they're made to look very human. Roll in all canon senses and Rock as well, both looked like normal human children. I do not see Dr. Light making his next gen "X" look any less human since he wants peace between humans and robots. By making the next gen look less human, all it would do is form a larger rift between them. X had his armor on in this case because he was to be recognized as a successor of Rock, who at the time was regarded in many ways as a hero. Unfortunately he slept in his capsule for a far longer time than anticipated and people's memory of Rock faded away. That's about all I can reason out on that subject. I've never figured out how nobody knew who Megaman was, when you had Dr. Wily constantly holding the world hostage, and Megaman as the person stopping him. Every. Single. Time.
Wily more than likely took an early design that was X and modified it to be Zero. I believe this because there are massive similarities. while there are also differences, Wily was brilliant in his ability to change things, but not quite so brilliant in making them from scratch. Light made something, Wily would then make something that was based off it or modified from it. This gives me the thought that X and Zero both have humanoid forms. Further, X was what all reploids were based off of. In Mega Man Zero, you had an old reploid who had been involved with a human. It was his wife. She had out aged him and died. He had his frame modified so that he wouldn't out age her on the surface which is why he was an old man. Humans are a very physical group. In a relationship, it is almost impossible for it to exist without some sort of physical contact, therefore again, X and Zero probably have compatible and at least "functional" parts, though their ability to actually procreate with a human would be lacking. This is all theoretical, but since Reploids show love, and have relationships with members of the opposite sex, it also shows that there is probably something physical there as well(Otherwise why would gender matter?).
On the note of Roll liking to sing in the last chapter, listen to her Japanese and English themes from Tatsunoko vs Capcom. Think about the Japanese version being the younger Roll, and the English one being the Older Roll. Something just tells me that she'd enjoy singing after/during beating the shit out of people with a her broom. I will also freely admit that since Rock and Roll will be having a rather large impact on X's personality in this, that his enjoyment of Karaoke came directly from the sister that he couldn't remember because of the fashion he had been activated by Dr. Cain. Roll gave her caring attitude and hesitation to harm others unnecessarily, and Rock gave his courage and need to protect people. Even though Rock wasn't made to fight, i never saw half the reluctance to fight in Rock that I saw in X. Where could this have come from. Now, this isn't to say X didn't have his own separate personality, but just like any family, X was effected by his sister, brother, and what he remembered about Light.
Did Zero sing the song Gunslinger from Avenged Sevenfold that badly? The world may never know.