Edited: Stupid keeps auto editing out by page breaks.

Chapter 5: It Began in the Forest

Knees held tightly to her chest, Louise sat curled up in the back of the covered wagon. Every bump in the road jostled her body up and down, her bound wrists and ankles burned as the rope dug into her skin. It was humiliating. Gagged and trussed up like a pig, she sat motionless. She had given up trying to free herself from her bonds several hours ago; the thief's knots were too good for Louise to wriggle free.

The thief herself sat at the front of the wagon, intermittently checking on the captive behind her. The woman had dropped into a very serious mood as soon as the escape began in earnest, only giving small, terse orders to her captive.

They had been traveling non stop since last night and far into the morning. After escaping into the forest, Fouquet had dissolved her golem before binding her captive and hauling her to a hidden wagon, from there, they had taken a trail through the forest to an old, lonely road, and plodded along. With each passing hour, the thief had become more relaxed, and Louise had become more depressed. If she wasn't found by now, it was doubtful rescue would be coming any time soon.

Looking out the covered wagon's open back, trees became countryside and became trees again. Louise had no idea how far they were from the school, the golem had moved incredibly fast, and the wagon kept a brisk pace.

Louise tilted over when the wagon stopped abruptly. Looking up, she saw Fouquet hop off the front of the wagon and unbind the horse, leading it over to a hitch with some hay next to a stone cottage of sorts. Louise's breath caught. Were they a safe distance away from the academy? Would she now be killed? Bound as she was, Louise suppressed her fear and steeled herself when the thief approached the back of the wagon, a thin dagger drawn. If Louise was to die, she would die like a Valliere. She glared at her captor, meeting the gaze of the fiend. Yet, when the knife was drawn up, she could only close her eyes in fear. She wasn't supposed to die now, not so soon after her life started improving!

A slackness on her legs caused Louise to weekly open her eyes, and find the thief cutting through her bindings. The thief returned the dagger to it's sheath once Louise's ankle's were free, leaving her wrists bound. "I'm going to remove your gag. You start screaming, and it goes back on and you get no food." Louise nodded suspiciously, why would this thief even seek to feed her? Wasn't she going to kill her not even a day ago?

When Fouquet finished untying the gag, Louise opened her sore mouth and stretched her jaw, clearing up some minor numbness. "Come then." The thief picked the small girl up out of the wagon and set her upon the ground. "Into the cottage." The order was clear, and Louise had no way of denying it, so she plodded along to the cottage, not saying a word.

The inside of the cottage was humble. One room with a bed, a small kitchen, and a tiny table with two simple wooden chairs. A firm hand on her shoulder pushed Louise forward, and sat her down at the table. Louise sat, cautiously trying to read her captor as the thief retrieved some bread and jerky from a sack, setting a small portion before Louise. "Eat up." Louise's stomach left no room for argument and she greedily tore into the humble meal. It was almost noon and she had eaten neither breakfast nor lunch, not something the young noble was used to.

Finishing up the last of her crumbs, Louise looked up to find the thief amused. Realizing she had been eating entirely improperly, Louise fumed with indigence, yet suppressed any outburst, she didn't need to give this thief any reason to harm her. "Bed." The thief said simple, gesturing old bed in the corner.

Louise looked up and once again tried to read the odd woman, what was she up to? Apparently she took to long, as the thief sighed before grabbing Louise's wrists and leading her to the bed. "You sleep here, don't get clever." The thief said as she bound the rope between Louise's wrists to the bedpost.

Not sparing her captive a second glance, Fouquet left the house for reasons unknown. Louise jerked her hands against her bindings, and found them as secure as ever. There would be no lucky escape right now. Minutes passed and Louise fought the growing urge to sleep. She hadn't slept all night, unable to in the jostling wagon, and the allure of slumber was growing. Soon enough, Louise drifted off in spite of her efforts not to.

Louise woke to the smell of porridge. Before thinking to do otherwise, she sat up, only to be jostled back down when her wrists didn't follow her. Hearing the noise, Fouquet left the small stove and strode over to her captive, knife withdrawn. Louise sleepily noticed the blade again, but before she could scare, the thief cut the bindings from Louise's wrists. "Breakfast is almost ready, go ahead and sit at the table." The thief's voice had lost the serious edge from the night before. Somehow, that made Louise far more nervous.

She isn't concerned with pursuit.Louise realized.

Louise rubbed her wrists, feeling seeping back into them. Now, fully unbound, Louise toyed with the idea of making a break for it, but with no wand, there was no way she'd manage to get further than a few meters. Deciding to wait for her moment, Louise sat at the table continued to stare at her captor. The woman returned to the stove-pot and scooped some simple looking porridge into two bowls. Fouquet placed one bowl in front of Louise, and sat across from her with her own.

Fouquet began eating steadily, idly watching Louise who only eyed the porridge. Questions within Louise squelched any appetite. Less than a minute passed before Louise finally broke her silence. "Why are you doing this!" She exclaimed. "Aren't you going to kill me!"

The loud shout was only followed by silence as Fouquet placed her spoon back in her bowl and crossed her hands in front of her, studying Louise in a way that made the girl uncomfortable. "I'm currently debating what to do with you." Louise drew back at the steel in the thief's voice. Remembering the rule about shouting, Louise gulped. "If you are asking if I'll kill you because of last night? No. Then, I was going to remove you as a witness, but since I left two perfectly viable witnesses behind, I am not about to add the murder of a Valliere to my list of misdeeds for no benefit." Louise sighed with relief, so she'd just be let go. "But I encountered a problem. The staff of destruction I liberated might be broken." Fouquet pinched the bridge of her nose, obviously annoyed with the development. "It's either broken or I can't figure out how to operate it; and that means selling it will be quite difficult. Any of my usual clients will demand at least half off, if not more." Louise carefully repressed a smile. Serves the rotten thief right!

Fouquet continued, if she noticed Louie's repressed smile, she didn't show it, "However, the staff was not the only thing I made off with last night." Louise's breath hitched, making the connection. "That's right, I think the daughter of the Valliere's could be quite valuable to them. Your family is in another league compared even to other nobles."

Louise mouth gaped. This thief planned to ransom her! How dare she even think of something so low! "How dare you!" Louise hissed. "Is thievery not low enough for you, now you stoop to kidnapping?"

A cold glare met Louise's own. "I suppose I should act more like a noble and only steal from those I enslave?" Louise gaped. "Isn't that what you do with commoners?"

"That's not slavery." Louise began as the thief merely rolled her eyes. "Brimir gave nobles magic to rule and guide commoners by example."

Fouquet raised an eyebrow. "You are either far too naive or far too sanctimonious. Not that it matters, your opinion wont change the fact that I plan to ransom you."

Taking a deep breath, Louise played her trump card. "My family is not to be trifled with thief." Every ounce of that statement was true. "My mother is Karin of the Heavy Wind. She would not rest until you were dead." Louise left out the fact that she was a failure to her family. Would they even pay for her, look for her? Louise shook the depressing thoughts from her head, that was the old, failure Louise talking. If nothing else, Cattleya would come for her, or at least try, even in spite of the sickness that plagued Cattleya's body.

Fouquet's eyebrows rose at Louise's proclamation. "Oh? Karin of the Heavy Wind? Even I have heard of her. That is quite scary, or it would be if I believed you." Louise gaped, she wasn't lying, her mother really was Karin! "Really, if you are going to make wild claims, try not to name heroes long disappeared, a lie that fanciful is easy to spot." Louise made to protest, only to be silenced by another glare. "As I said, I'm deciding what to do with you. We are about a day's gallop from the school, in the middle of nowhere. Even if the army was gathered to search for you, it would take weeks before anyone found this cottage in the middle of the forest. I could lock you up in a cage and feed you nothing but bread and water, but that would inspire ill will with your family. I am giving you the option of living in this cabin, I'd lock you in of course, but that would be a far superior living arrangement than an impromptu dungeon."

Louise began to understand what this thief was getting at. In war, nobles were often taken captive during battles rather than killed, many nobles even had their cloaks and armor brazened by heralds to encourage being taken alive. Captives were given acceptable living conditions while ransom and transfer were arranged. As long as conditions were kept acceptable, the ransomed house did not peruse vengeance. But that was a tradition to keep war dignified between nobles! This thief planned to act far above her station; and this wasn't the result of honorable combat, this was kidnapping! The audacity of such a plan caused Louise to fume. She opened her mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by a raised hand. "Ah! I suggest you think hard about how you want to spend your next few weeks." Fouquet smiled, knowing she had the upper hand.

Louise's just words faltered on her lips. If she wanted to have any hope of escape, she needed to be in healthy condition. "I'll be good." She spoke softly, hating her shameful words.

Fouquet cupped a hand to her ear, "Ah, what was that?" The thief clearly enjoyed having the upper hand on a noble.

Louise scrunched up her face, shamed and embarrassed. "I won't try to escape. Please let me use the cottage." Louise promised herself it was a lie.

Fouquet smiled in her victory, and stood up. "Good, there is enough food in the cupboard for a week if you ration it properly." With a wave of her wand, the stone walls of the cottage barred up over the window. Striding out the door, the thief turned and left tone last warning. "I may have to leave at points, but my familiar will be watching, so I'll know if you try anything; and don't entertain any ideas of escaping into the woods, they are far from safe little girl."

Looking around one last time, Fouquet began to close the door. "Wait." Louise held out her hand, stopping Fouquet. There was one thing Louise hadn't asked, something she was afraid to ask. "If my family doesn't pay..." She said softly, not wanting to finish the question."

"Ah." Fouquet grasped the meaning. "Well, hope it doesn't come to that.

The next few hours passed surprisingly slowly. It was before dawn when she had risen from the bed, but she had fallen asleep midday the previous, so Louise was far to awake to try getting more sleep. Instead she had finished her meal, and gone about scouring the cabin, taking inventory. There was various food in the cupboards, a basin of water, a drawer of spoons and forks in a drawer. Did Fouquet actually remove even the butter knives? The thief seemed incredibly cautious. The only other things that weren't attached to the floor was the furniture. The door was sealed shut, the walls seemed to have been transmuted around it, holing it firm. That left her only other escape route through the barred window. Even the ceiling was made of stone. Louise had the sneaking suspicion that Fouquet had transmuted this building herself.

After giving up finding any useful tool, Louise had begun staring out the window. The wagon was gone, making it likely that the thief had gone somewhere, likely to deliver a ransom note, but that didn't mean she was unwatched. Any of forest creatures she caught a glimpse of could be her captor's familiar, watching her, waiting for Louise to slip up. It was maddening, if she couldn't be sure she was unwatched, how could she plan an escape? Founder Brimir above, where was her familiar when she needed him? If only it were here, she could send it for help.

Louise glared daggers at a passing squirrel. If only Cattleya were here, she would know what to do. Louise smiled to herself. If her older sister were here, she would probably be rescued by the very forest creatures Louise was fearing. She had a strange way with animals.

If only Montmorency were here, she would help her.

If only anyone were here...Smiling weakly to keep her spirits up, Louise turned and leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. "If only if only, the woodpecker sighs. If only the bark on the tree were as soft as the sky." Louise recited a poem her mother used to recite. If only the stone walls were as soft as the sky, then escaping wouldn't be so impossible.

"Ten thousand ecu? Maybe fifteen thousand? Mama would be furious if Papa offered more." Louise spoke to no one in particular from where she sat on the bed. She was guessing how much her family would pay for her as the latest in her made up games to keep herself entertained.

"Louise?"

The high pitched, sickeningly cute voice of her familiar sounded from within her mind. So stunned was she, Louise did not even respond. Had she imagined the voice?

"Louise? If your mouth is gagged, you need only think to me."

The voice once again sounded, and Louise nearly collapsed with relief. Catching herself from speaking out, she tried his suggestion of thinking at him, lest she alert Fouquet's familiar. "I hear you familiar. Be careful, Fouquet's familiar is about."

"Then we had better hurry. "This time, the voice was not her familiar, but that of Montmorency.

Louise nearly spoke in surprised, but covered her own mouth with her hands. "Montmorency? How are you communicating like this?"

"No time to explain, get away from the door and take cover, we are breaking it down."Montmorency's voice was urgent, and Louise could only guess what was about to happen.

Grabbing the table, Louise dragged it as far away from the door as she could and tilted it to its side as a makeshift shield. "Ready."

There was a resounding crash as the door flew backward, a huge ice spike drove the heavy door straight across the cottage and pinned it to the opposite wall. Louise peeked out from behind the bed and saw a most welcome sight. Montmorency stood in the doorway, a relieved smile splashed across her face, "Loui-"

"Louise!" A sing song voice cut Montmorecy off as Kirche of all people ran past Montmorency to her. "When I heard that you had been kidnapped, I could not help but come running!" The boisterous red head hugged the stunned Louise, pressing Louise's head to her well endowed chest.

Planting her arm on the Kirche's shoulder, Louise pried herself from the death grip. "Thanks Kirche..." She ground out, still fighting the hug. Finally beating the girl's grip, Louise flopped backwards, off balance.

"Not the time." Tabitha's cold voice sounded from the doorway where she was keeping watch. Kirche gave her friend an annoyed look and then shrugged and sighed. "Sorry," though her sing song voice belied any actual regret. "I was just so moved by your chivalry the other day!" Kirche hugged herself, "Your duel of honor was so moving! I had to come rescue you!"

Louise did not know what to do with the creature in front of her, this was a far different Kirche than the one she remembered always teasing her. Instead, Louise skirted around her and toward Montmorency. "You okay?" Montmorency asked, grabbing Louise's hand.

"I am now. Thanks for coming for me." Louise smiled back, squeezing Montmorency's hand.

Montmorency raised a hand and waved of the praise, abashed. "This little guy helped too." She gestured downward where Kyuubey stood by her feet.

Louise bent down and patted her familiar's head. "Thank you as well. You make a fine familiar." The small beast did not reply, it only looked outward toward the door.

Stepping outside into the evening air Louise looked to Tabitha. Sparing Louise only a glance, Tabitha turned back to the trees, giving them another scan before looking to the sky. The blue haired girl raised a hand to her lips and let out a piercing whistle. "Sylphid comes. Stay alert." Tabitha ordered back, her eyes back to sweeping the forest edge.

A faint sound of flapping greeted Louise's ears not a minute later. Tabitha's dragon Sylphid cleared the treeline and landed swiftly, generating blast of wind with it's wings, cushioning the hasty landing. Tabitha wasted no time in climbing aboard her familiar. Turning, the young girl offered a hand. "Make haste."

Louise did not need to be told twice. In short order, she grabbed her familiar, accepted the hand and pulled herself aboard the dragon. Montmorency hopped on behind her, followed by Kirche. Louise let out a breath of relief. She was rescued after all.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" An angered voice called out as the earth itself shook. Trees out beyond the clearing went flying as a massive, dreadfully familiar golem burst forth.

"Fly!" Tabitha urged her familiar and the beast leaped into the sky; nearly throwing Louise from it with the sheer force of the takeoff.

The thief would have none of it. "Not a chance!" She cried, her golem launching a swipe at the dragon. Sylphid rolled to the side, dodging the rock arm by inches. It was truly a testament to Tabitha's and her familiar's coordination to pull off such a maneuver. The wind dragon corkscrewed upwards, dodging the golem's second arm as it swung upward. Louise held Tabitha for dear life as her world became a spinning whirlwind of colors.

Then they were clear, the golem waving it's arm below them. Louise let out a breath of air, loosening her death-grip on the girl in front of her. She heard the thief hurling obscenities after them. Looking over her should, Louise stuck out her tongue, immature yes, but it also felt great. Ha! Serves the rotten fiend righ-

Louise breath hitched as a massive boulder rocketed toward Sylphid. The dragon rolled out of the way of it, but Louise was no longer gripping to her lifeline. One second she was sitting on Sylphid's back, the next she was looking up at an upside down Sylphid. "AAAAAeeeiiiii!" She shrieked as she plummeted downward.

Looking up and reaching uselessly for the dragon, Louise screamed with all her might reaching for Montmorency's outstretched hand. "NO!" Montmorency screamed, drawing her wand. "LEVITATION!" She cried, her magic racing toward the plummeting Louise.

One second Louise was falling, the next it was like a warm pillow of air enveloped her, slowing her descent. She was again unable to breath a sigh of relief as she heard the cacophonous pounding that could only be caused by a tower sized golem, trotting along the earth. Louise looked downward to the trees, then back to the dragon which was diving for her. Another boulder caused Tabitha to bank away, leaving Louise to slowly fall to the ground.

Louise hit the ground running. The golem was almost upon her, but she was hidden in the trees. If she could just get away and call for Tabitha. Louise darted around through the trees away from the golem, taking glances upward to see Sylphid darting around, gouts of wind and fire spewing off from its riders and harassing the golem.

"Louise, can you hear me?"Montmorency's voice filled her head.

Louise looked around, realizing her familiar was nowhere to be seen. "Kyuubey I could kiss you!"Louise thought to her familiar, wherever it was.

The small voice of her familiar filled her mind. "Rather than that, try holding on next time."It chastised her.

Louise darted around another tree and leaned against it, stopping to catch her breath. "I'm trying to get away, can you find me with Kyuubey?"

Montmorency's thoughts filled her mind once again. "We are already on the ground and coming for you. Tabitha will distract the golem while we leave on foot."

Still panting, Louise looked through the treeline. In the distance she saw the golem trotting after a retreating Sylphid. Smart, Fouquet would assume they meant to pick her up with the dragon. How else but with a dragons eyes in the sky could they find her?

Louise giggled though labored breaths. That was her second narrow escape in what could only be a few minutes. That must be a record or something. "Louise?"

Montmorency's voice drew attention to her right. Her blonde friend's hair had numerous leaves stuck between her frazzled curls and she was covered in dirt, but there was a relieved smile on her face. "That's twice I'm rescuing you in one day, that has got to be a record or something, right?"

Louise couldn't help but laugh, relieved as she was.

"I wouldn't celebrate quite yet." Fouquet's icy voice sent chills down Louise's spine.

"How-" Louise was cut off as the earth erupted into yet another golem.

The ground shook Louise off her feet and she could only stare up at the golem towering over her. "This day was going great." Fouquet's voice sounded with rage from the golem's shoulder. "The Vallieres agree to a ransom without bargain, my messenger doesn't ask for a larger cut, and I even find a buyer for that damned staff! But now? Now I have to chase you through he forest, then I'm going to have to play the hostage game all over again, and then I'm going to have to find another safe house. How did they even find you here! It's in the middle of nowhere!"

Louise crawled backward, only for her back to bump up against the tree behind her. "Now Valliere." Fouquet ground out. "Be a good girl and hold still." The golem's arm raised.

A shadow fell over Louise. Yet no great stone hand grasped her. Opening her tightly shut eyes, Louise saw Montmorency standing before her, legs spread proudly, her noble's mantel fluttered in the evening breeze. "Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth!" She called out. "Leave my friend alone!"

Louise blinked through teary, stunned eyes up at the girl before her. Fouquet's laughter tainted the air, ringing out through the forest. The laughter diminished into an angry chuckle, "Girl," the thief ground out. The golem drew its hand up, ready to swat Montmorency like a one swats an ant.

"I am not in the MOOD!"

In that moment, the golem's arm began racing toward Montmorency and time seemed to slow. Louise reached her hand out, as if to protect her friend before her. Drops of evening dew glittered in the air and Louise's tears floated before her.

Then Montmorency exploded into light.

Infinite shades of gold erupted outward from her friend. The light coiled around Montmorency in the most beautiful light show Louise had ever seen. Louie's breath was taken from her, even if she were to live another thousand years, she would never see anything that could match the spectacle before her.

And then it ended with a crunch. Earth shattered as the golem's hand smashed into the earth beside Montmorency. Cracks extended along the ground and Louise froze, stunned at Fouquet's golem missing. Fouquet herself was gaping at the sight before her. Her golem's arm had been diverted!

There, indented in the golem's arm was a massive silver hammer. The head as big around as Montmorency's chest, and the pole a good foot longer than Montmorency was tall. It was intricately adorned with odd lines running along it's head, they would look to be cracks if not for their right angles and manufactured appearance. With a lurch, Montmorency withdrew her hammer from the golem and spun it once, resting it across her shoulder.

Louise barely remembered to breath. Who was this before her? Dressed in elaborate, frilled clothing of golden yellow, she looked more like an angel. It was only when Montmorency turned back to Louise and offered a smile, that Louise believed it was still her. It was still that round, lovable face that belonged to her closest friend. "Wait right here, this wont take but a minute." With that, Montmorency reached up to a pair of goggles strapped across her forehead and pulled them across her eyes.

With a twirl of her hammer, Montmorency planted her feet in a fighting stance and held her weapon before her. "Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, I'll give you one chance to leave!"

The glare that Fouquet sent their way was venomous. "Child... I'm going to enjoy killing you."

That was all Montmorency needed. Bending her knees, her her body coiled for a single moment. Then, with amazing force, she leaped from the ground rocketing toward where Fouquet stood atop her golem.

A massive stone forearm reared up between Montmorency and Fouquet. Rolling into a midair flip, Montmorency lashed out with her hammer. The resounding crash of hammer on rock sent birds across the forest scattering. Cracks splintered across the arm of the golem, showing just how powerful Montmorency's swing was.

With a great push, the golem swung its arm wide, flicking Montmorency away toward a massive oak. Spinning midair, Montmorency planted her feet against the trunk of the tree and coiled for another jump. Again, the girl rocketed toward the golem's rider. Again the golem raised an arm to block, its cracks already healed by Fouquet's willpower coursing through the construct. "That wont work twice!" Montmorency shouted. The cracks running across her hammer's head released gouts of steam as they expanded outward, revealing clockwork machinations inside. The cogs whirled to bluing speeds and steam rocketed out the back of the hammer, propelling it forward.

"VAPEUR FINIR!"

The hammer collided with the arm, shattering it with tremendous force and sending a shock wave outward that even Louise felt from where she sat. Yet, despite the massive blow, Montmorency was still stopped. Hanging in the air for a moment, gravity grabbed hold and pulled her downward. With no purchase to spring from, she was an easy target. Rearing back, the golem launched a kick at Montmorency.

Again Montmorency spun midair, using her Hammer's mass to maneuver herself toward the oncoming mountain of a limb. With a mighty steam empowered swing, Montmorency stuck the limb, sending it off course and her spinning down to the ground. Legs planted again, Montmorency twisted on instinct as the golem's uninjured arm came racing toward her. With a might jump, Montmorency avoided a direct hit, but was still launched across the forest floor, tumbling as she bounced twice against the grass before managing to plant her feet into a slide.

"She is going to lose." Kyuubey's voice rang out throughout Louise's core. Louise tore her eyes away from where Montmorency prepared to launch another attack. Kyuubey sat beside her, watching the battle. Louise's eyes followed her familiars to the golem, its shattered arm was rapidly regrowing, drawing earth from the ground. "Montmorency has the power to win, but not the experience. Direct attacks like that are too predictable."

Louise felt the pit in her stomach grow as Montmorency once again rocketed toward the golem, only to hit an arm and be flicked away. "How-"

"How did she gain that power?" The Kyuubey finished for her. "She made a wish. That is a magical girl Louise." Louise looked back to her friend. Her familiar was telling the truth? It actually could grant wishes and magical powers? "There is only one way to save her. Do you have the conviction to fight Louise? Will you become a magical girl?"

There was no hesitation. Simple desires like proving herself. Like graduating. Like gaining her mother's acceptance. Those meant nothing when Louise's friend was fighting for her life. "Kyuubey!" She cried.

"Grant my wish!"

Wafts of pink exploded from Louise. A small ball of light exited her chest and she instinctively cradled it to her as the world was blocked out. The pink light wrapped around her protectively forming around her body. In an explosion of color, white gloves burst into existence on her hands. Swirling light cloaked behind her, forming a white and pink emblazoned mantel. Intricately braided ribbons gripped her bangs. It felt comforting, like being hugged by those closest to you.

It was over as quickly as it began. Louise looked down at herself, briefly wondering why clothing came with magical powers, but it was a far cry better than worn out pajamas so she held her tongue.

The crash of the golem's arm impacting the earth where Montmorency had been not a moment sooner snapped Louise back to attention. She needed to help. As soon as Louise thought to fight, light erupted from her hand, forming a long, pristine white staff clutching a dark orb at its top. To call the ball black would be wrong, it was like no light touched it; it was nothingness.

There was no hesitation in how to use this staff, it was like Louise had known all along. Focusing on the end of the staff, she drew her energy to it. The orb pulsated with power and in an instant, Louise was ready. Leveling the staff at her enemy, Louise released her hold on the energy and it rocketed forward. An orb with a dark core trailing wafts of pink impacted the golem's side, exploding outward and knocking the construct to the side.

Both combatants stopped and looked toward Louise, neither expecting Louise to join. Marshaling her best smile, Louise called to Montmorency. "Let's finish this!"

Louise's smile was returned in earnest. "Right!" With renewed vigor, the hammer wielding warrior darted toward her foe. The golem raised its arm to squash her flat, only to stumble as orbs of energy blasted into its side.

Fouquet screamed in rage, whirling her golem toward Louise, only for it to stumble as Montmorency's hammer impacted its knee. Again it turned to Montmorency, only to stumble backward as more dark orbs collided with it. Fully off balance, it raised its arms forward, trying not to fall. "NOW!" Montmorency cried leaping up and beyond the golem's guard. With a mighty swing she struck the golem's chest with everything she had. Sending it falling backward and crashing into the forest floor, shattering under its own weight.

Fouquet went tumbling across the forest floor. The thief was down, but not out. Getting her feet below her, she raised her wand, spell on her lips. That hammer girl was about to find out that standing in a mound of earth still saturated with an earth mage's willpower was nota good idea. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A low, pulsing hum drew Fouquet's attention to the blade of dark energy less than an inch from the back of her neck. Extending from the Valliere's staff was some sort of spearhead created from the same energy she had been firing off. Never had Fouquet expected the long range support to move in to close range. For a moment, Fouquet considered chancing her luck, but the Valliere gave her a look of pure steel. "This... just isn't my day." Fouquet dropped her wand and raised her hands. The battle was over.

Kirche and Tabitha arrived at the clearing five minutes too late to be of any help. Even the stoic Tabitha was noticeably surprised to find that Montmorency and Louise had defeated a triangle class mage. It was quite funny to see the ever composed Tabitha show any reaction, even if it was just raised eyebrows. Now back in their clothing and pajamas, the two hardly looked like formidable fighters, Louise admitted.

The group had then retrieved Fouquet's hidden wagon and started the trek back to the academy, not being able to fit five people on Sylphid. The thief herself was bound wrists and ankles in satisfying reversal of roles as far as Louise was concerned. Fouquet would be turned over to the authorities and tried, Louise was not about to kill her like a savage.

Tabitha had taken the reigns of the wagon, her familiar flying overhead. Louise suspected the girl was miffed she hadn't been able to help more. Kirche had taken to trying to weasel out just how the two magical girls had won the fight. Both girls had fun making only vague references and giggling between themselves. It was strangely fun to have Kirche, envy of all the girls, guessing at their new abilities.

The group traveled through the night and into the morning before they finally reached the academy. Fouquet had been given to the summoned guards and Louise had retreated to her room to finally get a good sleep. Montmorency had led her there, not wanting to let Louise out of her sight, not that Louise was complaining. Finally back in her room, Louise nearly cried with relief. "Ah, I'll let you get some rest." Montmorency said softly, closing the door.

"Wait." Louise said before she even processed her thoughts. Montmorency waited, door half closed. The thought of being alone scared her far more than she cared to think about. Yet the idea of asking Montmorency to stay was far too embarrassing.

"How about a sleepover?" Montmorency said lightly, as if reading Louise's thoughts.

Louise smiled though forming tears. "Yeah, that would be good."

The two girls shared a bed that night. Montmorency cradling Louise protectively. It was like sleeping with Cattleya, Louise vaguely realized. Warm and safe. Louise began to drift off when something struck her, a question that would keep her up all night if not asked. "Montmorency? How did you manage to find me?"

Montmorency sleepily opened her eyes. "Ah, I just wished to Kyuubey to know where you are."

"Eh?" Louise was struck by her friends selflessness...

"Then why not just wish me back at school?" Louise inquired further.

Montmorency's eyes opened fully, and she blankly though for a moment. "You know... I didn't really think of that."

There was brief a moment of silence, ended by one word from Louise.

"Blockhead."

The insult was filled with such warmth that the two girls giggled themselves exhausted. Then, warm and happy, they drifted off to sleep. Neither one of them looking at Louise's dresser where two beady red eyes watched them.

Measured them.