Zero heard the birds chirping. It was morning, and he hated life. Somehow while sleeping, Louise had managed to climb on top of him. He'd tried to remove himself a few times, but she had a remarkably tight grip, and he knew that he wasn't going to get up without waking her. At least it was about time to wake her up now. "Hey, Louise... Time to wake up," he said, shaking her a bit.
Louise felt comfortable and warm. She had a pillow under her. She heard Zero's voice, and her pillow moved. She sleepily lifted her head to come face to face with Zero. "Zero?" Louise asked sleepily.
"Yeah. Its morning. Need to get up Louise,"
"Its okay..." She said, putting her head back down. "Day of the Void."
"Yeah, but I've got some work I need to take care of. Roll needed some help with some work down in the lab," Zero said. Thankfully this wasn't a total lie. The lab needed a lot of work, and it would get him out of this awkward situation.
"You sure have a lot of things that you're working on," Louise said, as she eyed him suspiciously.
Zero sighed. He knew he used this excuse a little often, but he supposed he could add a little more to it. It wasn't like he was lying either. "Well, Louise..." he started then paused. "You know how I woke up Roll?"
"Yeah." Louise said slowly. Why did he have to bring her up so much?
"Well, where I woke her up is fairly damaged. Its dangerous to leave it like that, so we're working to fix it up. Its my fault for causing this, so I have to take responsibility. Right?"
"Well, why can't I help?" Louise asked with an annoyed glance up at Zero.
"Headmaster's orders. Only Colbert and Roll are allowed down there, aside from myself. Can't really do much about it." Zero said cautiously. The headmaster said that he could let anyone who he trusted down there, but the place was about the only place he could get any privacy.
"Oh, ok. Will you be around for lunch?" Louise asked quietly as she let go of Zero and rolled back over.
"Yeah, I should be. Roll said that she'd meet us for breakfast this morning if you wanted to go down now.
"Sure. Wait outside for me to get dressed, alright?"
"Yeah, I can do that," Zero replied easily.
If he had known the day that awaited him he might have just gone back to bed though.
***Break***
Zero sighed. It was just before dinner and he was still looking for Rock. At some point during their repairs today, Rock had gone missing in Roll's body. They'd been searching for him for a while, and nothing. He was waiting in front of the tower for Roll. He hoped she'd found Rock.
"No luck?" Roll asked as she walked up behind him.
"No. I've been expecting them to jump out of the bushes to hit me with the broom."
"No... I don't think he'd do that. He knows you're much stronger and faster than him, even if he was in his own body. I think he has something else planned. But what?" Roll asked. Rock had always been smart... But the few times they ended up in situations like this Rock had always won.
"So, what should we do now?"
"I suppose we should keep looking. We'll probably have to search outside the academy at this rate..." Roll said, knowing that Rock was probably having a good laugh at them for this. She supposed she should have seen this coming
"Y-you stupid familiar! You lied about meeting me for lunch! If you're just spending time with Roll then say so! Its even worse that you lie to me!" Louise shouted.
"You've got it all wrong! That's not what's happening!" Zero said. Damn it, where the hell had Rock gone? He couldn't exactly tell Louise he was looking for X's brother who was temporarily located in his sister's former body. No, because that would just make him sound crazy. Zero turned his head as he heard rapid foot steps.
"Papa!" Rock shouted, as she flew through the air, her arms wrapping around Zero's neck.
"Papa?" Louise screamed, as she looked at this new girl hanging from Zero's neck... She looked... She could easily have been his daughter...No. That wasn't possible, was it? She looked far too old...
"Louise, its not what you think!" Roll said, trying to think of a way to keep this from getting out of hand.
"W-with you! Liars! Y-y-you liars! You..." Louise kept stammering the same thing. A crowd appeared to be drawing close, with a number of familiar faces. After a few moments, Louise looked at the little girl and gasped. Trying her best to keep a calm and peaceful face she said in a sweet voice,"That's a pretty red dress. It looks... familiar."
"Mama and Papa bought me this dress! With this dress, I can grow up to be as pretty as mama! They said I'm their precious Rin!" 'Rin' said with pride. After a moment, with a radiant smile on her face she said "Fierce and unavoidable," in Japanese, in a happy voice. Then with a look of horror on her little face, she said "I'm sorry Papa! I forgot, you said to only speak that language around you and Mama!"
"Its a misunderstanding!" Zero shouted, as he saw both Kirche, Siesta, and even little Tabitha shaking their heads at his denials of the earnest seeming child.
"What is a misunderstanding Papa?" 'Rin' asked sounding confused.
Louise looked at Zero, and the cute child attached to his neck. Yes, she could see it. The eyes, like Roll, the shared blond hair, her athletic ability like Zero's. With Zero's age...It was possible, wasn't it? And to have him deny her like that... "You're horrible! I hate you!" Louise shouted as she ran off.
"Crap, Roll, take Rock," Zero said as he pried the shocked looking Rock from his neck."I have to explain this to her I guess. You take damage control here? You're less likely to explode here than with Louise..." He ran off after Louise.
"Rock, what were you thinking?" Roll asked as she looked at her brother.
"I figured a joke for a joke...I didn't think anyone would take it this seriously...I mean, in manga or on TV it never ended this way..."
Roll looked at Rock, then at all the others assembled. "I'm sorry... My sister is a little bit of a trouble maker...She didn't mean for it to turn out like this..."
Rock looked at all of the people gathered, and saw the tears running down a maid's face. She bowed and said,"I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. It was supposed to be a joke..."
***Break***
Guiche was trying his very best to woo his lover Montmorency. He made some altogether brilliant observations about Montmorency's appearance being like a rose, like a wild rose, like a white rose, how her eyes were like blue roses, and then he extolled her by using the spirit of water as comparison. Montmorency, being no exception among the Tristain nobles, was proud and conceited, so she did not hate flattery. However, She was fishing for more. For all he had done he would have to pay even more.
Sensing this, Guiche searched his head even more and unleashed words to attract her affection. "In front of you, wouldn't the spirit of water run away? See, this hair... It is like a golden grassland. It's a sea of glittering stars. Aah, any female besides you can no longer enter my eye." Guiche just didn't stop, and he had already said enough ridiculous lines to make a decades worth of afternoon romances.
Slowly she gently held out her left hand to Guiche. "Aah" Guiche let out a moan of wonder and kissed that hand. "Aah, my Montmorency~..."
Guiche tried to bring his lips near hers, but it was stopped by her finger. "Before that, let us drink some wine. Since you went through the trouble of bringing it here."
"Of, course!"
On the top of the table, a vase with flowers in it, a bottle of wine, and two ceramic glasses were placed. Guiche had come to Montmorency's room carrying those in his hand, and asked her to dine with him out in the open, so he could marvel at her beauty in the impending sunset.
Guiche hurriedly poured the wine into the glass. Doing so, Montmorency suddenly pointed toward the tower. "Oh? Is that Kirche flying naked?"
"Eh? Where? Where, where?" Guiche's eyes widened and stared in the direction she had pointed.
'Any female besides you can no longer enter my eye,' Montmorency thought in anger. It seemed that she would have to use this after all. While thinking that, Montmorency secretly poured the contents of the small bottle she had hidden in her sleeves into Guiche's wine cup. The transparent fluid dissolved into the wine. Montmorency smiled sweetly.
"Just a lie. Well, let us toast. To my Montmorency's wonderful sense of humor," Guiche said
Louise stomped past them, on her way to her room. After a moment she took a few steps back, looked at Guiche and said,"I need this!" as she grabbed the glass of wine out of his hand.
Guiche looked at Louise who was easily on the verge of tears and said,"Ah... Yes, I suppose you do. The maid?"
"It was Roll! She even had a child with him before she came here!" She shouted, and started off to her room again.
After Louise was already in the building Zero ran up to the two,"Hey have you seen Louise?" Zero demanded.
"She just walked by. I must say, you have absolutely no right to criticize me for my actions. Not when you have your own flaws to work on." Guiche said coldly.
"Damn it, that was Roll's little sister playing a prank! She's like twelve. Last I checked, children don't grow up quite THAT fast." Zero said as he ran towards the room.
***Break***
Zero opened the door, and instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding the chair that was thrown at him. Huh, she hadn't done that one before.
"You're horrible! Go away!" Louise yelled as she stared at Zero. In that moment when she saw his face, she realized that she loved him, with no restriction. That emotion was so big, even Louise herself was bewildered. Without thinking, Louise covered her cheeks with her hands. Oh my... I liked him this much? I loved him this... this much? Tears overflowed from Louise's eyes. Her feelings of sadness were bigger than her feelings of anger. She liked him so much, so why didn't Zero look at her? It was so sad, Louise started to sob.
"Louise, come on. I already said its a misunderstanding," Zero said as he walked up to the girl who had broken down in tears.
"How could you be so horrible? Denying your daughter like that. You looked so much alike." Louise said, between sobs.
"Louise... damn it. That wasn't my daughter. That was... Roll's little sister..." Zero said with a sigh.
"Little sister?" Louise asked in surprise, her tears momentarily forgotten.
"Yes. We had to... wake her up too. But it was a lot more work. She's just a little bit mischievous. She was that 'justice' I was running from..."
"So...You really weren't lying to me? You promise?" Louise asked him, her watery eyes meeting his.
"No I wasn't lying. I promise... At most I gloss over stuff that even Mr. Colbert can't understand." Zero said as he knelt down to look her face to face.
"Oh, Zero... I love you!" Louise yelled as she jumped forward, her lips coming into contact with his.
"Ah! Hands, check your hands!" Zero cried out as the little ball of affection that was Louise climbed on to him.
"Oh Zero, I knew that you would be true! You're so kind, and you always do what you say you will! And for that reason...I...Love...You!" Louise called out.
And so began Zero's night.
***Break***
She started waking up. Abruptly, Louise got up and, noticing Zero, bit her lip. Then in a wrung out voice, she murmured "Good morning."
"G-good morning," Zero returned the greeting from his chair. She had fallen asleep after an hour of trying to shower him with her love.
Then Louise blushed. She stared at Zero's face unblinking.
"W-what?" Zero asked cautiously, ready to bolt if it came to it.
"Forgive me." Louise opened her mouth and said in a lamenting voice. "Forgive me forgive me forgive me. Forgive me?"
Louise was definitely acting weird. She gazed at him with helpless puppy eyes, yet she had never looked at Zero this way before. She had been acting a bit nicer and more reasonable but... This was way past that. She stood up and walked closer to zero. "Seriously, what is wrong with you?" Zero , he gripped her shoulder. Dressed only in negligee, Louise bent her head and rested her cheek on top of his hand.
"I saw..."
"What?"
"..a dream, yesterday."
"What dream?"
"A Dream about Zero."
"You had a dream about me?"
"Zero was mean in the dream. Though I was trying very hard, he still spoke with other girls." Louise bit into Zero's left hand very gently. Then she glanced upwards at Zero's face.
"Even so, it was yesterday... Do not buy gifts for other girls, do not look at other girls - you have your master, right?"
Zero looked at the girl and was at a complete loss for words. He never realized, that she was so in love with him... But what made Louise's attitude change so much? It's as if she is an entirely different person. Louise who was her own willful person up until now, couldn't possibly change over night. At first she was mad, and now she gently chewed on his palm while scowling. She would not just bite like this. She would throw a the chair at him. Or anything within reach really.
"Listen to me." Louise said
"I am, I am," Zero said in a calming manner. Hopefully she wouldn't start crying again.
"Tell me truthfully. Whom do you love the most? Be honest!"
Zero looked away from her, but she pulled his head back to face her. "Iris." was all he said.
"What is so good about her, why can't you forget her?" Louise demanded.
"What?" Zero asked shocked.
"Yeah... Forget about her. She wouldn't want this. She'd want you to love again. And... Zero...I...Love...You!" Then, Louise tightly embraced Zero and pulled him toward the bed. When they were near it, she leaned back and pulled him on to the bed.
"L-Louise..."
"Be still. Just accept my feelings," Louise pleaded with Zero.
"Can't do that." He said quietly, being completely honest.
Louise held onto Zero firmly, like a girl embracing her favorite stuffed animal.
"Ugh, don't you have to go to class?"
"It's alright. I'll just skip it anyway."
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it sounded. Normally serious Louise never skipped class so lightly. While she might have considered herself a zero before, she still worked hard. "That's not like you. You can't just skip, right?"
"I can skip, for a whole day. Because, when you are let out, you flirt with other girls. I hate that."
Something wasn't right. Louise never wore her emotions on her sleeve like this. Well, aside from anger and annoyance. But what could cause this?
"Say something." Louise muttered sweetly as she rubbed her face against Zero.
***Break***
Some time in the afternoon, Louise had finally fallen asleep. The young girl snored faintly in a deep slumber.
Then Zero quietly slipped out of the room and headed to the dining hall to get some food for Louise. He wasn't going to take Louise out with how she'd been acting.
Siesta, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen already, sweetly smiled when he finished explaining the situation to her. "You are popular."
"No, it's different than that. Louise isn't herself. She's acting strange. It can't be helped, and now I have to get some of this food…" Worried, Zero said, while Siesta trampled on Zero's feet, without breaking her smile.
"That's great."
"Wait, what?" Zero looked at her and realized, it seemed like she was really mad. The composed smile only seemed to emphasized her cold anger.
"That a highly prideful noble Miss Vallière would suddenly become clingy over Zero. What would make her change her mind about Zero? I'm worried." Still smiling, Siesta stepped on Zero's foot again. He had to admit if he was a human this would probably hurt. A lot.
"I have absolutely no idea! She really suddenly started acting strange. One moment she throws a chair at me, the next she's crying, and then she's trying to get my clothes off!"
"Really?"
"Yeah… It is as if she turned into a different person."
Hearing that, Siesta started to think with a serious expression. "This reminds me, I heard that there are some magical potions that can change a person's mind this way…"
"Magical potions?"
"Indeed. Yet because I am not a mage I might have not understood it well... But, Miss Vallière would not drink such a thing…And they are known to be highly illegal, like any magic that is used to control the minds of its victims."
Zero remembered the previous night. The only people who had seen her before him seemed to be Guiche and Monmon. Maybe they knew what was going on. After a moment he recalled that Monmon was known for mixing potions and perfumes. At that moment Louise's attitude changed suddenly… Did Louise do something then? He sighed. "Thanks Siesta. Knowing my luck something exactly like that happened. I'm going to bring this food up to Louise then try and find whatever the hell is at the bottom of this whole troublesome situation."
Siesta watched Zero leave. She was grateful that he seemed annoyed by the turn of events, more than happy.
***Break***
Zero waited for Montmorency to come out of the dining room and gripped her arm. Guiche, who was walking next to her, roared.
"Hey! What are you doing to my Montmorency!" Guiche protested.
However, Montmorency's face suddenly turned pale instead of complaining. What? Even though I'm gripping a nobles arem like that? Guess Montmorency, who was even more arrogant than Louise, did not want to make much noise. In a word, she felt indebted to Zero over something and that was surely related to Louise's sudden change.
"Hey Monmon." Zero glared at Montmorency.
"W-what…?" She awkwardly turned her eyes away. She was not angry at being called Monmon. It was becoming more and more suspicious.
"Louise is acting very suspiciously. Would you happen to know anything about this? I talked to her, and she said she had only spoken to you two before I went up to the room,"
"Eh?" Guiche made a suspicious face. "What are you talking about? The only thing that happened was Louise took my glass of wine. She looked to need it more than I."
"Drank your wine hmm? And then she went from throwing a chair at me, to declaring her love for me..." Zero said slowly.
Guiche thought while crossing his arms. It took some time, because he was slow as usual. Then Guiche, who with great effort recalled the previous night's events, nodded.
"It is really as you say. It should not be possible for Louise to become so soft suddenly. But that was the wine I brought! There's nothing suspicious about it!" After saying so, Guiche noticed Montmorency's unusual behavior. She was biting her lips strongly and tiny drops of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Montmorency! That wine, really…"
"That child drank it without permission!" Montmorency cried out, unable to take it anymore."Though that's not the point! It's your fault!" She said while pointing at Guiche, poking his nose with her finger. Now with the anger reversed, Guiche and Zero just stared at her.
"Because you are always fooling around!"
"What did you put in the wine?" Zero asked with a serious tone that chilled the girl in front of him.
"…Love potion."
"Love potion!" Guiche and Zero cried out. Montmorency placed both hands over their mouths in panic.
"Idiots! Not so loud! …It is a banned item."
Zero gripped Montmorency's arm, removed her hand from his mouth and shouted. "Then don't use something like that to begin with! You will help Louise, or I'll go straight to the headmaster."
"Alright... I"ll do it," Monmon said, unable to meet the gaze of the familiar in front of her.
***Break***
Montmorency, Zero and Guiche racked their brains in Montmorency's room. Montmorency explained to them both in an arrogant manner that she made a love potion to prevent Guiche from having an affair. She put it in Guiche's glass to have him drink it, but then Louise had come by. She had been upset, and took the wine without even thinking about it.
Guiche, who kept silent till then, clasped a blushing Montmorency's hand. "Montmorency, you cared so much for me…"
"Hah! You think that I did it for you? I would not waste my time on that. It was just merely unpleasant for you to have affairs behind my back!" The blush on Montmerency's cheeks was quickly replaced by an arrogant scowl.
"Do not worry about me having an affair! I am your servant forever!" Guiche embraced Montmorency closely. Then, holding her cheek, tried to kiss her. Startled Montmorency shut her eyes.
"Knock it off." Zero said as he pulled them both apart.
"What are you doing, idiot?"
"Help Louise first. Or I tell Osmand. And believe me, since I'm technically on the staff, he's more inclined to believe me than you."
"She'll recover sooner or later!"
"When is this 'sooner or later'!"
Montmorency looked doubtful. "Each person's physiology is different, it may take a month or maybe a year…"
"You planned to let me drink such a thing?" Guiche turned pale.
"Unacceptable. Fix it," Zero said as he stared down the willful girl in front of him.
"I understand! But it will take some time to prepare the antidote!"
"Hurry up and get started on it."
"However, to make an antidote a certain expensive drug is necessary, but I used it all up while making the love potion and it is very expensive. I can't do it for the time being."
"You'll find a way to fix it. You are nobles right? Aren't you supposed to take responsibility for your errors?"
"Although we are nobles, we are students as well." Guiche replied.
"It is older members of the family that possess the territory and money." Montmorency added.
"Then ask your parents to send the money." Zero said to them both.
Guiche raised his forefinger and started talking. "Listen. This world has two kinds of nobles. One kind are nobles that do not have the good fortune of money, another kind – nobles that have the money. For instance, de Montmorency. Montmorency's family, fails in the land reclamation and the management of the territory is horrible."
Montmorency cut in."Or like the de Gramont house, Guiche's family, for the sake of honor got involved in a war and wasted all of their money"
"Anyway, there are moneyless nobles. Actually, and I am not exaggerating, half the nobles in the world have enough money only to maintain their residence and the territory around it at best. However, it is not for a commoner like you to understand the hardships of keeping the honor and pride of the nobility."
"Damned fools..." Zero thought with annoyance. He reluctantly pulled out a pouch, and placed it on the table. This was only some of what he had been given, but no reason to give that information out. "This will get it fixed. Do you understand me?" He spilled the contents out on the table.
"Amazing! Why do you have so much money? You are just a familiar..."Seeing that amount of gold lying all over the table took Montmorency's breath away.
"What? You didn't know? I'm not a commoner or anything, I am Knight-Captain Zero. Something about stopping an army myself and saving Tristian. I wasn't paying that much attention at the time."
"Knight-C-captain?" Monmon asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Zero. His eyes weren't averted, his posture stayed the same. He was telling the truth! "Some of these...they're even old gold! The purity on them is so much higher than the standard new gold! This amount of money is..."
"Just buy that expensive medicine you're talking about with this by the end of tomorrow."
Montmorency nodded. He was able to throw this much money away? Perhaps the other girls had realized something she hadn't. Looking at the familiar closely, she noticed just how handsome he really was. She blushed lightly.
"No!" Zero said as he realized the way she was staring at him."No, don't even look at me like that. I have enough problems with that already."
"I wasn't doing anything of the sort," she replied and turned away.
"I'm leaving. I have to go make sure Louise isn't prowling around hunting for me." Zero said as he walked towards the door. "Make sure you get the ingredients for it by tomorrow."
***Break***
When he returned to his room, the room itself looked weird. Somehow the whole room was filled with cigarette-like smokes, yet the aroma was sweet. Louise was sitting in the center of the room with incense fuming around her.
"Hey, what? What's up with all this?"
When Zero asked, Louise, who was watching him, answered in a teary voice."Where have you been...?"
Zero realized suddenly that Louise wasn't wearing her skirt.
"You left me all alone" She said in teary voice while sulkily looking up at Zero. It seemed like, while feeling lonely, she started burning all these incenses.
"Sorry. Guiche and Monmon were up to their usual annoying antics. I ended up having to... 'mediate' my way through the problem." Zero replied back.
Why doesn't she put on a skirt? He tried to turn his eyes away from her body when he noticed another unexpected skirt wasn't the only thing that she missed Her panties were gone as well. "You should put on some panties." Zero said as he turned around.
"I w-won't!"Louise shouted at him.
"Why not?"
"I am not sexy enough. I know this because Zero sleeps by my side in bed, but doesn't do anything to me. I cannot take this anymore." Louise said in a weeping voice.
"T-that's, you, me, are you saying you want me to...?" Zero was shocked at how bold she was being. Even Siesta or Kirche hadn't been quite this open. with their intentions.
"Yes, that's exactly what I want! You spend all that time with the maid, you spend all that time with Roll. But I love you too Zero!"
"That may be... But it wouldn't be right."Zero said, trying to find some way to verbally diffuse the situation.
"If you can't take dealing with me afterwards...Even if you don't want me...I'll shut my eyes and for an hour, I will pretend not to know. You can pretend it never happened!" Louise pulled the hem of her shirt down to cover herself as she stood up. Louise moved her bare, slender legs, trying to tempt Zero as much as she could. As she drew close to him, she jumped forward, burying her face in Zero's chest. Louise trembled and twitched."I am lonely idiot! Why can't you see that? I try so hard to tell you...But you don't listen!"
Zero held Louise's shoulders gently. Then he looked straight into her eyes and said in as gentle a voice as possible. "Louise"
"Zero"
"You're acting this way because of a drug."
"Drug?"Louise looked up at Zero with moistened eyes.
"That's right. The present you is not the real you. But don't worry, I will promise... I will get the cure for you, alright?"
"It is not because of a drug!" Louise looked straight at Zero."These feelings are not because of drug. Because whenever I look at Zero my heart starts beating wildly. Not only that I cannot breathe and feel helpless. And when I see Zero with other girls, it hurts me! Because I can't compare to them! I know, this feeling is...is...Love!"
"It's different. These aren't your real feelings. This is because of the drug. The antidote will be ready by tomorrow night, so wait till then. Anyway, go to sleep now, okay?"
Louise shook her head. "I don't understand. It doesn't matter. Anyway, you must hug me tightly or else I won't go to sleep."
"If I do, you'll go to bed?"
Louise nodded. Zero carried her to the bed. Then laid down, snuggling next to her. As usual, Louise clung firmly to him.
"Don't go anywhere. Look only at me, no other girls, only me."She repeated, as if she was trying to cast some kind of spell.
Zero sighed again."I won't go anywhere. I'll stay here for a long time."
"Really? Even if you get a chance to go home?"
"Yes, so rest, ok?"
"If Zero says to sleep, I will sleep. Because I don't want him to dislike me."
However, Louise didn't go to sleep. Instead, she shuffled a little and brought her blushing face to the scruff of Zero's neck. Before Zero could even think of what she was doing, she started to kiss his neck.
"Louise... You really shouldn't do that."Zero really hoped she wouldn't remember this when she was back to herself. He really truly hoped that. Meanwhile Louise started to suck strongly on Zero's skin.
"Louise! Louise! Stop that!"
She looked at the place that she just kissed. It reddened as if bitten by an insect. A smile came to her and with a nod she continued her work.
"Louise, stop! I already! I! Aah!"Zero shouted, while trying to remove the girl. Was she always this strong, or was this part of the drug they'd given her? He really didn't wanna use more force than this, and it wasn't really her fault.
When Louise separated her lips, she muttered in a sulky way."No. I won't stop. Zero is mine and mine alone. Therefore, I will leave marks to show that he is mine and keep the other girls away."
"Louise..." Zero said, sounding regretful.
"Zero?"
"Stop, please. I really don't want to hurt you like this,"
"Hurt me? You'd never hurt me. That's why...I...Love...You!" she said, while squeezing again.
"Louise, you'll hate me when this wears off. So please, just stop this. If you want you can tell me how you feel after you're no longer effected by the drug. Alright? I'll listen to whatever you want to say," Zero said. She would have something to say about her feelings alright. He didn't promise to stand still though, cause he knew that she'd probably try her explosion spell on him.
"You'll really listen? Really?" Louise asked, excited.
"Yes, I'll listen to whatever you have to say," He said again.
"Alright. So... I just need to wait for that antidote, so I can prove to you that this is how I really feel?" She said as she clasped her hands in front of herself excitedly.
"After you take the antidote," Zero said, ensuring she understood what he meant.
"Alright! Good night Zero!" she said happily, and wrapped her arms around his chest, easing her head into the crook of his neck.
***BREAK***
During the evening of the next day, Zero was in Montmorency's room. He had a quarrel with Louise before leaving her in her room and coming here. He was hoping that she'd be at least somewhat reasonable when he went back, but somehow he doubted that.
"You can't make an antidote?"With his face lifted, Zero stared at Montmorency. Beside her sat Guiche holding his chin and scowling. Montmorency and Guiche had gone into the city that day to face the black-market traders in the hopes of finding the antidote, however...
"It can't be helped! It was sold out!"
"Then when can you buy it?"
"It seems like they do not have the goods needed."
"What is it?"
"The specific medicine comes from Ragdorian Lake, at the boarder with Galia. It is made from the tears of a water spirit however it seems they were not able to contact the water spirits recently."
"What?"
"In other words, we cannot get the special medicine required for the antidote."
"Then what about Louise?"
"Well, I mean, really, what is so bad about all this? She has fallen in love with you. You like Louise, do you not?"
Zero couldn't consent with what Guiche said, though."Guiche...This is wrong no matter how you look at it. Even if I was interested, which I'm not... Those are not her true feelings. It would be nothing short of turning her into a slave."
Montmorency pouted her lips and Guiche shook his head reluctantly. Even Zero thought quietly for a while, until he shook his head."Where is that water spirit?"
"I told you already, it's at the Ragdorian lake."
"Yeah, but I don't really know where that is thanks."
"Now listen here! The water spirit rarely shows her face before humans! And even if she did, she is very strong! If angered, the results can be disastrous!"
"I don't care."
"Well I do care! I am absolutely not going!"
Zero crossed his arms. "Well then, there's only one thing I can do. I will have to tell Her Royal Highness the Princess about the love potion, or is it Her Royal Highness the Queen now? Anyway, I will have to ask for her help about the problem. Come to think of it, wasn't that potion illegal? It's not supposed to be allowed to be made, right? Now then, I wonder what would Her Highness do if she learned about it? She is Louise's childhood friend after all."
Montmorency's face quickly turned pale.
"What do you think, Monmon?"
"Fine, already! I understand! I will go, if you go!"
"Hmm, we can't let Louise stay this way, either. Or else others may notice her strange behavior and suspect the love potion."
Guiche shook his head."Fear not, my lover. I will stay by your side on this journey," said Guiche while leaning in and trying to slowly put his hand over Montmorency's shoulders, but she quickly evaded him.
"That's not really inspiring. You are too weak."
After that, they made arrangements for the journey. They would leave the following day, early in the morning. Because they did not know how Louise might act if left alone, they decided to bring her along as well.
"This is my first time skipping school." Montmorency sighed.
"And what about me, as I have not been going to school regularly for half of a year now? After Zero came, it has become adventurous every day!" Guiche burst into a hearty laughter.
The hills and mountains overlooked the dark blue waves of Ragdorian Lake as they rippled. The sun's illumination on the lake was spread like a layer of shimmering glass.
Guiche and Monmon arrived at the lake by horse.
Because Louise disliked riding alone, she had decided to walk like Zero. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who's world view you were looking through, she had not been up for it, and Zero was carrying her.
"This must be the famous Ragdorian lake! No, the beauty of this lake is indescribable! The Water Spirit is in there!"Yelled Guiche, whipping the horse and sending it plunging down the hill. But the horse was afraid of the water and when it reached the shore it came to an abrupt stop. Following the law of inertia, Guiche was flung off the horse and, with a thunderous crash, fell head first into the lake. "Can't reach the ground! It's deep! Deep!"Guiche desperately cried out for help while struggling in the water. It seemed that Guiche did not know how to swim.
"I wonder if we should reconsider our fellowship after all?"Montmorency muttered.
"That would be nice." Zero nodded.
Louise looked up at Zero with a worried face."Montmorency is nice?"
"No, I am just agreeing that Guiche is an idiot. Just wait. I will return you to your original self. Then you can tell me anything you want. Alright?"
Guiche, after a long struggle, was shivering and soaked from head to toe as he finally reached the shore. He had a bitter look on his face."Hey hey, shouldn't you help me? Do not desert someone who cannot swim!"
However, Montmorency completely ignored Guiche and was instead looking at the lake suspiciously.
"What is it?" Zero asked.
"Strange."
"What's strange?"
"The water level is up. Ragdorian's shore should be further up there."
"Really?"
"Yes. Look over there. There is a rooftop sticking out. It seems that village has been flooded."
Following Montmorency's gaze, they could indeed see the roof. Zero could even recognize the dark shadow of the sunken house under the limpid surface of the water.
Montmorency walked up to the shore, dipped her finger into the water and closed her eyes. After a while she stood back up with a worried expression on her face.
"It seems as if the Water Spirit is angry."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I am a Water-element user, Montmorency the Fragrance. The Tristain Royal family is connected with the Ragdorian lake Water Spirit by an old oath. The Montmorency 'Water' family has been negotiating with it for many generations.
"And now?"
"And now, for various reasons, other nobles are doing it."
"Then, have you seen the Water Spirit?"
"Only once when I was small. When we needed to create a drainage for the territory, the family sought the Water Spirit's cooperation. A big glass container was made to transport it. However, because the Water Spirit has a lot of pride, it can be extremely aggressive. In fact, it is because of their aggressiveness that my family's drainage scheme failed. My father said to the Water Spirit 'Do not walk. The floor gets wet'"
"What does the Water Spirit look like?" Zero asked, showing curiosity.
"I have never actually seen it."
Guiche, flapping his wet shirt that he had taken off, nodded in agreement. Louise, who had absolutely no interest in the discussion, hid herself behind Zero's back and unconsciously held on tightly to him.
At that moment, an old lonesome farmer who was hiding behind a tree stepped out. "I suppose, my lords, you are nobles."
"What's the matter?" Montmorency asked.
"My lords, did you come to negotiate with the Water Spirit? If so, then we have been saved! Please, quickly make your negotiations and solve this flood problem."
The party looked at each other. It seemed like this farmer was a resident of the village that sank into the lake.
"That, well, we... came here just to see the lake."
Surely, Montmorency could not tell him that they came here to get the Water Spirit's tear.
"I see, lords and the queen are now only interested in the war against the Albion, not even noticing such remote villages as ours. They can't even imagine how hard it is to collect the harvest," the farmer sigh deeply.
"What on earth happened to the Ragdorian lake?"
"The water started to rise about two years ago. The water level increased slowly, flooding the port first, then the temple and fields... See? Now even the eagles' nests are flooded. The local lords that are responsible for this territory indulge in royal court entertainments and pay no attention to our pleas." the old farmer wept bitterly.
"For years we lived on this land, depending on the moody Water Spirit. Honestly, it's good when it stays at the bottom of the lake... We really want to understand why it has suddenly become interested in our land. Because this land belongs to men! But, only a noble could communicate with it. I'd like to know what we poor farmers did to make it lose its temper."
After the farmer had left, Montmorency took something out of the bag attached to her waist. It was a tiny frog. It was bright yellow with many black spots.
Montmorency put the frog in the palm of her hand, it stared up at her inquisitively.
"Frog!" Louise screamed and drew closer to Zero."What is with this poisonously colored frog?"
"It is not poisonous, I tell you! It is my dear familiar!" Montmorency raised her finger, and ordered to her familiar."Listen Robin, I want to contact an old friend of ours."
Then Montmorency reached in her pocket and took out a needle, in one brief moment she stuck her finger with it allowing a ruby of bright red blood to gush. Turning her finger over she let a drop fall on the frog.
After that, Montmorency cast a spell, treating the wound on the tip of her finger. Then she brought the frog close again.
"Since she knows who I am, she should know who you are. Robin, please, in the name of the great spirits of the dead, seek the old Water Spirit, and tell her I wish to speak with her because of our alliance. Do it for me, understood?"
The frog slightly nodded and disappeared into the water with a splash.
"Now, Robin went to call the Water Spirit. If she can find it, she is likely to bring it Water Spirit... compared to human lifespans, it can live a long, long, long time. It is said to have existed 6,000 years ago, when the Founder Brimir established Halkeginia. Its body, like water, can freely change its shape... and in a sunshine it glistens with seven colors"
The moment Montmorency said this, the surface of the water began to shine.
The Water Spirit appeared.
Far from the shore where Zero and others were standing the water was shining.
The surface of the water was churning non-stop. Then the water welled up like a rising cake. Zero watched it with an expression of blank surprise. The water was constantly changing shape so one could not even see hands. It looked like a huge amoeba. Though its flashing lights were beautiful...
The frog, Montmorency's familiar, hopped back to its master with a splash. Montmorency held out her palm and caught the frog. She patted the frog's head with her finger."Thank you for helping to bring it." Then Montmorency stood up, spread her hands towards the Water Spirit, and opened her mouth. "I am a Montmorency Margarita La Fère de Montmorency. User of water, member of the lineage of old oath. I have put my blood on the frog to help you remember. If you remember, answer in the way and words that we understand."
The Water Spirit... rising out of the surface of the water... started slowly to gain shape like a clay figure.
Zero's eyes opened in surprise when watching this. That face! Those clothes!
The mass of water slowly shaped itself into a female wearing what appeared to be a stiff dress that appeared to have round shoulderguards, large boots, and a Barret over long flowing hair. The face was the same face that had haunted his thoughts for over a hundred years. "Iris!" Zero cried out.
The Water Spirit's expression changed into various forms. First, it smiled, then she appeared angry, then as if she were crying. All expressions Zero had seen before.
Then her face became expressionless as the Water Spirit answered Montmorency's question. "I remember, mere human. I remember the liquid that flows in your body. The moon has changed 52 times since our last meeting."
"I'm glad. Water Spirit, I need to ask you something. Although it might seem somewhat insensitive, could you give me a piece of your body?"
"Iris, is that you?" Zero demanded. "Please... Please be you Iris...Please!" he shouted, sounding choked.
"God of Destruction..." The water spirit said with some caution.
"Iris...Why...Why are you here?" Zero shouted at her. He'd killed her. How was she here? This didn't make sense. God of Destruction? Is this how she viewed him? It would be fair... He had destroyed everything precious to her...
"God of Destruction...I am only in a form that you would not attack. Your power is undeniable. But your heart will not allow you to harm me while I hold this form. You wouldn't, would you?"
"W-what? What did you say? How do you know about Iris!" Zero demanded.
"Zero?" Louise gasped. The water spirit... She was using the form of Zero's dead love? "You evil creature! How could you do this to Zero?"
The water spirit looked at them both. "God of Destruction...One could say a fairy told me. While you have the power to destroy this world... While I hold this form, I am protected from your wrath. Though you are not like life I am familiar with... I can feel the beat in your very soul, and it cries out for the one who I am now. I deny the request for my tear God of Destruction."
"Is that so? How unfortunate. Oh well, we'll be heading back now." Montmorency said.
"You! Taking Iris' form...And then acting like this!" Zero said, his head felt like it was buzzing. A low sound just enough to anger him. Along with the pain of seeing Iris... and how the spirit used her form...
"Wait! You! Stop it! Don't anger the Water Spirit!" Montmorency tried to thrust Zero aside, but Zero didn't even flinch.
"You dare take that form...You're nothing like Iris. Nothing at all!" Zero shouted as his body was shrouded in white light. Tears ran down his cheeks.
Guiche backed up in panic. Louise silently drew closer to Zero despite her fear. He couldn't help but think, it was hard to tell which one of them was the familiar in this type of situation.
"You..." Zero's gaze met the water spirit's who flinched back. "You dare... you dare take that form. You dare act like that with her face?"
"God of Destruction..." The spirit said gently with a look of fear on its face. "I did not say that I would not part with a tear...But it shall not be given..."
"What?" Zero demanded. "So you have a mission for me then? Or do I have something you need?"
The Water Spirit changed her appearance few times before her face settled again on the gentle look of Iris. "I am being attacked, God of Destruction. They are powerful magicians who know my weaknesses. If you agree to stop them... I will part with a tear."
"Very well."
"No, I hate fights." Montmorency said, her voice shaking in fear.
Zero turned to look at her. He nodded, she'd probably never seen battle before..Zero put his hand on Montmorency's shoulder, and said "Don't worry. I'll handle this. She's closer in her description of me than you might think..."
Montmorency looked at him. "God of Destruction" is what she called him. Is that the power that Louise had summoned? She looked into his eyes. While he had power, she couldn't help but see him as just a person. And with the pain filled voice when he had cried out that name...
"Don't look at him like that! He's mine!" Louise shouted at the blond."You have your idiot! I have my beautiful, divine, faithful, loyal familiar!"
"How does he do it?" Guiche asked himself silently as he looked at Louise and the blush that had crossed Monmon's face.
***Break***
Zero hid himself in the shade of a tree on the shore at Gallia's border. A place that the water spirit had shown to them. He waited quietly for the targets to come. He had forced the others to stay farther back. While Louise had objected at first, his concern for her safety caused her to give in on the matter.
Louise was in an extremely bad mood because Montmorency had been giving those looks to her Zero. There was no reason for it. He was hers. She was his. That's all that needed to be known. And she wanted to get in the way. She hit the blond girl with her wand without warning, and hissed,"Zero's mine! You can't have him!"
Montmorency was staring at Zero in the darkness. She had heard all about the stories with the water spirit. It was a prideful creature, one that nobody would willingly make an enemy of. At least not lightly. And it had shown both deference and fear to Zero. It had even taken the precaution of using Zero's lost love against him. She had never heard of it doing anything even remotely similar. She wondered, just how powerful that familiar was. Perhaps there was something more to the spoiled girl who had just hit her with her wand.
***Break***
Two moons were shining high above in the sky. A few tense hours had passed, it was midnight.
Zero drew his buster and started charging it as he heard two sets of footsteps. Shadows appeared on the shore. It was two people. Because those figures were wearing jet-black hooded robes it was hard to tell whether they were men or women.
Zero pointed to the ground a few feet behind them with his buster and released the charge. The blast knocked the two off their feet. He charged. He noticed that they had their wands out and at the ready. With two quick swings of Derflinger the weapons sailed out of their hands. Zero gasped in surprise as he recognized the staff he had just removed from the smaller form.
Zero looked at the two girls that stood up to greet him, and just asked in a shocked voice,"Tabitha? Kirche? What are you doing here?
"You? Why, did you attack us darling?" Surprised, Kirche shouted as well.
***Author's notes***
Man, I'm kinda being a dick to Zero aren't I?