Louise was laying on her bed, deep in depression as she had been since she had returned to the academy. As she ran over things in her mind again, denying what others had told her, someone knocked against the door. Louise absent-mindedly opened her eyes. "Who?" She called out.
It was silent for a moment, then, "It's me. Open the door Louise." Came the answer.
Hearing that voice, Louise instantly jumped up and ran. However… after some thought, she returned back and hid under the blanket. It must be some kind of hallucination. Because of her longing, she had finally lost it and started hearing voices in her head.
"Please, open up. If this is about me punching you in the gut, I didn't have time to get you to listen to me," The voice sounded again.
Louise slowly stuck her head out of the blanket and watched the door. "Are you the real thing?"
"And why would I be a fake? There's only one Zero. Now hurry up and open the door, before I go set up in the courtyard again." the voice said, a bit of annoyance in his tone.
Louise sprang to her feet. Like pink lightning she dashed to the door, dressed only in a thin nightdress, and hastily tore the door open.
The face that she saw many times in her dreams, now stood before her, cocky grin and all. He stood proud, and tall, in his civilian clothes. Louise smiled slightly as she murmured,"Zero…"
Louise almost crumbled to the floor, her legs suddenly too weak to hold her slight frame up.
Smiling, Zero held Louise's shoulders. "Sorry for taking so long. At least I remembered to change out of my armor, right?"
"Id…"
"Id?"Zero asked, his smirk never once leaving his face.
"Idiot…" Louise's eyes were full of tears, as she sobbed loudly. "I was worried so much… I was terribly worried... I didn't know if you were dead or not…" Louise sobbed louder as she tried to speak.
Zero gently embraced her. "Sorry… I'm really sorry. I tried to get back faster, but finding a ship took time. I ended up having to wait until Albion got closer and I just jumped off. Got a pretty good view that way though."
"Why, why did you leave me and go alone? Idiot. Idiot idiot idiot!" Louise shouted as she started hitting Zero's chest with her small fists.
"Well, I am not dead, right?"
"Such ingratitude towards me, abandoning me…" Louise complained as her voice broke again.
"That's not why."Zero said.
"Then why?"Louise asked.
"A man has no greater love than when he is willing to sacrifice himself." He said softly.
Being told so straightforwardly, Louise's cheeks blushed."D-don't be silly. No matter what you say, love had nothing to do with it."
"Your voice is trembling."Zero replied mockingly.
"It's not trembling."
"You said you love me, right?"He said with great confidence. Louise sank her eyes down. Louise was weak against such straight words.
"Id-Idiot."
"I wonder why your face is already red." Zero asked, his voice containing a hint of smug self-satisfaction.
"It's not red!" Louise countered, although she didn't look up at him.
"Are you sure? After all, you put such clothes on, then wanted me to make a move, right?"
She hadn't noticed, but she was wearing the black-cat clothes again. "N-not true. I am just playing familiar. And I am only wearing these black clothes because that rusty sword said so."
He picked her up suddenly, holding her tightly and laid her down on the bed.
"Ah, no!" she cried out.
Zero brought his face closer. Though she resisted, she closed her eyes. Louise stiffened, while Zero kissed her neck. Louise held Zero closer. She couldn't help but think that Zero always had such confidence... Did I want him to embrace me tightly like that? To do these things? My body is not listening at all. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, clinging as if her life would depend on it, enjoying the feeling. For a long time, Louise laid there with her face buried into Zero's chest.
"Really, you made these black cat clothes for this?" Casually, Zero, stripped off part of Louise's black cat clothing. The part which covered her breasts.
"S… Stop!" In an instant, Louise covered her breasts. With a shocked face, she looked up at Zero."S-stop…"She muttered, averting her eyes from Zero.
"Show me them." Zero blankly said such bold thing.
"S-stupid…"
"Why? Didn't you change clothes back then without feeling shy at all?"
"B-because… because, you were a familiar during those days…"
"And I still happen to be a familiar," Zero pointed out reasonably.
"T-that's right, but now it's different."
"How is it different?"Zero pressed her
Louise faltered. "A-anyway, it's no good now."
"Why?"
"Because, well…".
"Tell me." Zero repeated words like a spell. Louise, like bewitched by it, honestly told what she was thinking.
"…small.."
"What's small?"
"They're small. But I want..." Louise said while blushing.
"I know." Zero said with a nod.
"…really just a tiny little bit, only a small amount. But not much. Well you see, only because Zero would not hate me if I did this."
"I do not hate you." Zero assured her.
"You do. I know. You always look at other girls... You spend so much time with Roll, and you let Kirche hang all over you... And I'm so plain in comparison."
Zero just shook his head. "I don't look at any other girls. I haven't for a very long time..."
Louise turned her eyes to Zero and the look of sadness that passed over his features twisted her heart. Suddenly, boldly, she asked,"But are you looking now?"
"Yes." He said as he looked at her with passionate eyes. Louise's arm lost its strength.
Louise said in an embarrassed voice. "Just watch. Just watch, all right? You won't do anything else, p-promise?
"Promise."Zero gripped Louise's hand and slowly lifted it up. Louise feeling so embarrassed that she could die, squeezed her eyes shut.
It felt as if eternity passed."…h-how are they? Average? Right? Small?" Louise asked hesitantly, waiting for his impression.
However, there was no answer.
"S-say something. Hey."She continued to urge him, yet there is still no answer.
Because Zero didn't say anything, Louise became insecure. She somehow felt that she shouldn't have shown him after all.
"Louise."
"W-what? Idiot… why haven't you said anything? I know they're small, but you could have responded when I asked…"
"Louise." He called again.
Louise shouted. "Noisy! Idiot! Shut-up!" Louise shouted,"They are small anyway! Idiot! I will absolutely never reveal them again!"
"They are perfect, because I love you." Zero replied with a smile.
Once he said that, Louise's body felt like it had lost all of it's strength completely. She would be unable to resist anything... But did she want to? "You really love me?
"Yes." He said, smoothly and confidently…
Louise knew that she should say it. Say those important words to Zero now, while he was listening. She still lacked courage when it came to that word…It wasn't like back then. He wasn't going anywhere now... So she could wait until she was ready to be honest again...
***Break***
Louise woke up."…that." There was no Zero. She was clothed in her nightdress. "A dream…" Louise said in a dull voice. Saddened, she sunk her face in her palms. Then…
"Louise." Her name was called from the corner of the room, startled she turned around. Axl stood there leaning against the wall.
"…Axl?" She asked cautiously.
It was Axl, a supposed priest of Romalia... And reploid. With a beaming aura, he watched Louise with great interest.
Louise drew the blanket around herself. "Why are you here?"
"I came to see you. You seemed to be having a very pleasant dream. What on earth were you dreaming about?" he wondered, with a knowing smirk.
Even Louise's ears turned crimson."Don't enter without permission. It's not a battlefield tent here."Louise said, not revealing her emotions.
Axl handed her a document with Chevreuse's permit seal placed upon it. "Is this paper good enough?"
"Still, why did you enter a lady's room without permission?"
"Because we are connected by a strong bond." Axl gave Louise his right hand, covered with a white glove.
Louise ignored his hand. "Stop joking."
Axl gave a carefree smile. "Finally, I was released from the Dragon Knight Corps, so I decided to return to Romalia. Tristainians are such hard workers! Writing reports are foreign to me, that's why I always stayed with the squad! Let X and Zero do the reports used to be my response to everything... But I finally made a report."
"Thank you for your hard work."she replied acidly.
"Before returning home, I decided to drop in and see you."
"Well… thank you." Louise said with a hollow face.
"Low-spirited?"
Louise tightened her lips and buried her face under the blanket.
"I am a person to whom you owe your life. Don't I deserve at least a little bit of thanks?"Axl asked calmly.
"What do you mean?" Louise looked up and stared at him.
"It was I who put you on the ship after all."
Instantly, Louise sprang out of the bed to her feet, and urged Axl.
"Don't you get it! He's dead! He's dead because you wouldn't let me stand with him!"
"Stop!" Axl said as he warded off the blows from the girl
"I won't stop! You didn't stop him!"she cried as she tried to thrash the man.
Axl put on a serious look as he grabbed her flailing fists. He sighed and said in a tired voice,"Ok, look, I'm just here for Derflinger. Unofficially, I'm going to be going and looking for Zero. I figured I should tell you rather than just take his sword from you. Besides, Zero did his duty. He couldn't be stopped."
"What do you mean 'Zero's duty'?"she screamed.
"He is Gandalfr. Being the master's shield – that job."
Louise gave Axl a long hard look.
"Do you know why? You weren't listening, Miss 'Void'. A strange name for a girl. User of the great Void."
"How do you know?"
"You're his master so I'll tell you simply. I'm like him. A familiar of the void. How the hell do you think I got here? Although I dislike it, out of the three of us, only the two of them could ever hope to be a shield. Its just not in my nature. I'm too impulsive..."Axl said as he walked over to Derflinger and picked him up. As he inspected the sword he noticed a knot around it. "You have it so he can't talk..."
"He wouldn't shut up! Its hard enough without Zero being here, without him talking about how much he's hated losing his only true partner! I can't deal with it!" Losing her strength, Louise knelt on the floor. Though she was surprised about Axl knowing details about Void,more than that being a familiar of the void... What worried her more now was Zero's fate.
Understanding Louise, and trying to gently admonish her, Axl said."Really, you might meet him if you keep your faith... But not otherwise."
"Keep your theology for the dogs to eat."
"Hah, you're an idiot. I don't mean when you die. I mean when I find him. You just need to keep your faith in him."Axl replied flippantly as he put Derflinger over his shoulder.
"Leave me alone." Louise shouted in anger, raising her fist again.
"I can not, time is important. Now Louise, you love him - true or false?"
After brief reflection, Louise answered. "True."
"Good. Though I am not a mage, I know some spell principles. Could you explain what a 'Summon Servant' is to me?"
"It's a spell that summons a familiar."
"Is that all?"He asked.
Louise made a sour face.
Axl continued where Louise refused to,"For mages, a familiar is an important being, a part of themselves in some way. But it is not irreplaceable. After goodbyes you can always meet someone new. I think that's what Summon Servant symbolizes. Not that death is the end for Zero. You might just have a new meeting that way..."
"Shut up."
"I'll pray for a new meeting. See you."Axl said happily as he walked out the door..
Louise thought quietly for a while and began to tremble."He is not dead" She whispered like a prayer."He is alive."She hung her head for a while, then Louise slowly lifted her head up again."Stay strong."He's only missing, not dead yet, she told door was knocked at again, Louise jumped and went up."Axl? Still have something to say?" She shouted while opening the door. However, the one that stood there was not that annoying man, it was Montmorency.
"I do, Louise." It was Montmorency with an embarrassed face. She sighed once she saw Louise's face."I know you are very depressed. I understand your feelings Yet you still need to go to class. You can't rest for too long. The war is already over"
Guiche, who stood behind, anxiously protruded his face as well. Montmorency squatted down next to Louise and softly said."Umm It is still uncertain if he is dead."
Louise, who had her face buried in her knees, stood up abruptly. As if desperately getting her courage back, she clenched her hands."I know. He's still alive."
"T-that's right! Zero is not one to die so easily! The spirit of the water called him the god of destruction. Could an army really beat a god?"Guiche's voice encouraged Louise as well. After that, Montmorency and Guiche, looked at each other's faces and nodded.
"That's right. He is still alive." Louise stood up and muttered with a determined expression on her face." And I'll confirm it now."
Guiche and Montmorency were confused.
"He is absolutely alive. I will confirm it."Louise continued to talk in a feverish tone.
"H-how?" Guiche asked.
Montmorency seemed to understand something."Summon Servant?"
"Indeed."Louise said as she nodded, her wand firmly in hand. "The spell that summons a familiar If I can cast Summon Servant again, then my familiar does not exist in this world."
"I, I see." Montmorency stuttered, a dreadful feeling welling up inside of her.
"Therefore since Zero is alive I will not be able to be complete the spell." Louise said with a genuine smile on her face. "Nothing can stop Zero. He promised he's always protect me. And he can't do that if he's dead... Right?"
Guiche hastily said."But, what if you complete th-"
Montmorency blocked Guiche's mouth with her hand."Louise maybe you should prepare yourself a little"
However, Louise shook her head."If I don't do it now, I'll never do it."
Guiche began to tremble. Montmorency closed her eyes.
Silently, Louise began to utter the word of the spell. Her hands and heart trembled with fear as what she was attempting and what succeeding would mean started to sink in.
'Summon Servant' was not an elemental spell, and everyone could use it. So Louise didn't need to read runes to cast it. And with her own successful casting of spells she had found that minor spells no longer eluded her or blew up as they once did...
"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar." She thrust out her wand into the air. If Zero, who was a familiar bound to Louise, was alive… the summon gate would not open.
A few moments passed.
Montmorency, who did not have the courage to open her eyes, wondered why Guiche and Louise did not dare to open their mouths. What happened?"Hey Guiche. How did it go?"She asked in a tiny voice, he answered."No..."
Giving up, Montmorency opened her eyes while holding up her breath. And… dazzled, fell to her knees.
In front of Louise, there was a mirror-shaped gate that shone with light. Soullessly, Louise kept on blankly staring at the gate.
"Aah, that's terrible. A great man was lost. A very great man was lost. A true hero who understand what it meant to fight for something..."Guiche said in a painful voice.
"Louise…" Montmorency muttered. Many summons could be seen within the gate. By this time, the selected beast or spirit should have passed through the shinning gates. They could pass through only on their own free will, after all. Before that could happen..."Close the gate!"Montmorency screamed.
Louise closed the gate. She did it without thinking.
Montmorency hugged Louise from behind. "Louise… Aah, Louise…I'm so sorry..."
Louise crumbled like a rag doll to the floor.
In the end, with her courage shattered into pieces… Louise was engulfed in despair.
***Break***
At that time, in a forest village near Albion's Saxe-Gotha…
Zero, who was standing watch while everyone slept looked at the glowing portal in front of him. "What's this?" He asked curiously as his left hand reached forward to touch it. As his hand closed in on it, it disappeared mere centimeters from his finger. "I wonder just what that was..."
***Break***
The next morning Zero was sitting on the firewood pile behind Tiffania's house. Tiffania's house was made from logs and some mortar. Zero couldn't help but think of how primitive this all was. He had to admit that the sun-lit trees were beautiful, though.
Here, next to Saxe-Gotha, Westwood Village was located. The village was near the highway connecting Saxe-Gotha and the port city of Rosais. Based on Tiffania's words, the hill where Zero held off the Albion army was not too far away either.
They learned of the battle from a merchant who said that the young looked similar to the descriptions that had been given of a mighty warrior who had stood before the giant host that the Republic of Albion had fielded. The merchant who came to sell cloth and chatted about the reverse defeat of the Holy Republic of Albion's army. He said - "We'll survive through this and it will be a little bit easier," with a happy face. Albion's nobles were not popular among the country people with their actions before and during the war. They had laid a heavy burden on the common people.
As Zero stood watch on the small village, he heard a sound behind. When he turned around, Tiffania was standing there with an embarrassed face.
"Firewood…"she murmured.
Zero nodded and picked up several large pieces..
She was wearing a large hat to hide her pointed ears.
"Ah, sorry to intrude..."
Zero nodded, it wasn't an unusual thing. They had taken him in, and treated him well... But he wasn't normal, and even he knew what he was. he smiled at the girl and said in a warm voice,"It is fine. I was simply standing ... I think... it's time for me to leave. So do not worry. Yeah, because the war is over, a weapon like me is not needed in the village anymore."
Tiffania opened her eyes wide. "Ah, it's different! Different! It is not so! I… umm, because you are a boy of the same age as me, I could not speak properly… I was slightly tensed… But it is not because I am afraid. So, until you remember everything, you should stay here. I am the one who should be sorry." Hesitantly, Tiffania bowed embarrassed.
Zero shrugged. "If you'll allow me to intrude...I will continue to protect you...It is all I can do to thank you properly for your kindness."
Tiffania's face turned red as he said that."Y-you're..."When Zero said that, Tiffania pulled the hat further down. She was feeling shy."I may be kind… But it is because of my mother's words."
"Mother?" Zero asked.
"Yes. My… dead mother. She said 'Help when you find a person in need.' My mother was like that. Without reflecting in it myself, I carried out the words of the person that I loved. Therefore, I'm nothing special…" Tiffania looked down.
"It has been your actions...Yours, the children and Mathilda who have welcomed me into your home... Nobody else." Zero said simply.
"This Westwood Village. If you look at it, aside from Mathilda, there are only children here."
"That's right." Zero nodded.
"This village is an orphanage. Children who lost their parents live here."
"Do you look after them?"
"Because I am the oldest, I take care of things, as for food however…"
"You don't have money?" Zero asked.
"Mathilda used to send money before her accident... It was enough to cover our basic needs,"Tiffania said hesitatingly.
"So you need food?"
Tiffania became silent for a moment,"No, we have started gardening... Its hard, but its mostly enough... Although it is harder without being able to buy meat or anything..."
Zero looked at her curiously. "Why not hunt for it?"
"Well...You see, we don't have anyone who is big enough to hunt, or knows how to use weapons..."
Zero nodded. "I see. I can do that." When Zero said that a dry impact could be heard from the wood that he held.
When looking at the offending piece of wood, he saw one arrow stuck in it. Whoever that was had some balls, he'd give them that.
"Dangerous. Is there a hunter out here?" Zero asked in an ironic voice.
Two more arrows flew one after another, sinking into the ground next to Zero and Tiffania..
"Who the hell?"he demanded, fury rising in him as he dropped the wood, grabbed Tiffania and jumped back.
Soon a group of men and demi humans emerged. They looked to be mercenaries.
"Hey you! Is there a village chief? Call him here!"the lead man shouted. More people came out of the forest. All of the members human or not were carrying weapons - bows with arrows, spears and so on.
"Wh-what for?" Tiffania muttered in a frightened voice.
"My, what a beauty. Here, in the middle of the forest, isolated from the world."The leader said. He was a small, sly looking man with a small cut on his forehead.
"And who are you? Mercenaries?"She asked hesitantly.
"Ex-mercenaries. Since the war ended, we returned to our original profession."
"Profession?" Tiffania asked, puzzled.
"Robbery,"One said, then the others started to laugh.
"Really, the easy wartime was over once we suddenly surrendered to Gallia. You see, we need compensation. So we're going back to basic business, to earn food." the leader said in a businesslike tone.
"Leave. There is nothing for you here... We do not even have enough for ourselves..." Tiffania answered back and looked courageously at them. The men laughed.
"There is some." the leader countered, a lecherous grin on his face.
"Huh?" she asked curiously.
"Even if the village looks poor, there are still some valuable things, I think. For me, a great treat would be a beautiful woman like you." the short man said. "I think you would be worth two thousand gold coins, right?"
One approached and the moment he tried to touch Tiffania…Zero stepped in."Stop."he said in a dead tone.
"What? Kid, don't you value your life? Except for a few exceptions, there is no interest in the market for the likes of you. Although your armor..."
"Touch her and I'll terminate you." Zero said menacingly.
"My, such a serious fellow. I'll let you live because of that courage, but get out of my way!"Contemptuously evaluating him, the robber gave a vulgar smile.
Zero reached for the man, grabbing his arm then flung him back towards his men. He bounced twice before landing roughly fifteen feet from Zero.
"Hey, youngster. Do you want us to murder you? You do, don't you?"One robber said while lowering a spear.
Zero just looked back at him and said in a cold voice," In all my years, hundreds of thousands who were better than you have tried."
"So, little boy, you're good at bluffing. Do you know something?" asked the man holding the spear.
"What?" Zero asked in a bored tone.
"To attack the Tristain and Germania Allied Forces, we headed toward Rosais. However, we were stopped by only a single person. I don't know much as I stayed behind... Yet you remind me of the courage of that person. I praise it. You have one more chance to back down and not get hurt."
Zero smiled at that. Then he started laughing."They tell me that was me." his hand went to his saber's handle.
The men began to laugh. "Hey hey! You say you stopped the Albion army when you don't even have a sword!"
Zero just glared back at them. Then spoke again,"I understand... You are humans... But what are those other organisms with you?" Zero asked in a monotone voice.
"What? Are you simple? They're orcs and trolls! If you stood up to that army how can you not know that? Eh, it doesn't matter we'll be taking both the women and the children in the village. Even if that one hiding is a cripple she's still beautiful. We can get quite a price for her. Some would pay a nice price for a woman they don't have to worry about running. "
"So you are a threat?" Zero asked after a moments contemplation.
"You're founder damned right I am!" The man with a spear replied, his voice harsh and rough.
"Understood." Zero replied as his helmet started to glow. "I will eliminate you." He took a step forward. As he moved he swung his sword bisecting the lead man and two of the trolls who were behind him with an arc of energy. Within a few seconds it was over. The men and trolls and orcs were laying on the ground motionless. Cries from the children could be heard.
"Z-zero, what did you do?" Tiffania demanded, looking at the carnage. He had been so brutal.
"Nothing unusual. This place is currently my home. The people in this home are currently my family. I do not know why I feel this way, but I refuse to let anything happen to my family." Zero replied in a heated tone, unlike any Tiffania had heard him use before.
"So... Do you remember then?" Mathilda asked cautiously as she exited the main house.
"Not much, no... But, I feel. I feel that I have to protect you all. You, Tiffania, the children. I don't care what happens. I'll protect you all." Zero replied as his helmet started to glow again.
"Why?" Mathilda asked quietly, as she wheeled herself toward Zero. Did she truly have some sort of value to the former Gandalfr? And would that value be lost when he finally regained all of his memories?
"Because I choose to." Was the only response Zero gave as he started removing the coin pouches, and moving the first of the corpses to the forest.
"You didn't have to do that... I could have stopped them..." Tiffania said in a small voice as she followed him.
"I do not believe so. They were ready to kill and harm. I simply met them with like force. My force was simply greater. While I'm here nothing will happen to this place. At least as an upside to this, their weapons and coin will go to feeding the orphans here." Zero replied continuing the grisly task...
***Author's note***
Rule number 1 when dealing with Zero. If he asks if you are a threat... Say no.
On the Albion government, they had a group of nobles that decided things in a similar manner to parliament with the emperor at the head of it. More power spread among nobles, but helps the commoners not at all.
Oh, right. No journal from her father. The only help she has is the cardinal.