Agnes De Milan, Chevalier of Tristain and captain of the Musketeer squad stood at the side of the room and watched as Princess Henrietta stood in front of the ritual circle and changed. Her tone was low and the words almost alien and barely discernable as old Romalian. Very old Romalian.
The words made the circle glow and pulse in ways that seemed wrong and made the air strange, but just as the last four times when she finished speaking the magic circle became dull with nothing spectacular or magical occurring.
"So again it does not yet work," Henrietta said with a light sigh before she looked across the room. "Headmaster Osmond, did you perhaps see a difference this time?
Old Osmond as most people called him was the Headmaster of the Tristain academy of magic, and arguably one of the oldest and most experienced mages in the country. He looked his age, but aside from being a pervert was still considered very wise. He knelt down to the circle and looked it over for a few seconds before standing and stroking his beard. "The spell appears to be correct in its execution, yet something is not occurring, or perhaps inhibiting the spell from finishing."
"I see. . . do you think I am perhaps considering the notes improperly? Or perhaps I am not conceiving a large enough area when imagining the spell?" Henrietta asked, seeming completely calm despite her failure.
"It is certainly a possibility, but as Knowledge of void magic is so old, it would be difficult to be sure, your Highness."
"I see. Then I shall change my approach tomorrow!"
"Your Highness, are you sure repeating the same spell daily is a good idea? " Agnes spoke up in a worried tone. "I worry for your health, and with your coronation upcoming . . ."
"Thank you for your worry Agnes, but I am fine. With each casting I feel my control improving, so you need not worry about me," Henrietta said surely as she turned to the door and stopped must shy of touching it. "Headmaster Osmond?"
"Yes, your Highness?"
"I would like to thank you again for coming and staying here at the he castle to assist me in this ritual, and in learning how to properly command the founders magic."
"Of course your Highness. It is the least I could do for you," Osmond replied politely.
"Yes, considering that it was you and your faculty who were incapable of realizing why Louise could not do magic, which led to her leaving, it is the least you could do!" Henrietta said with venom in her tone as she opened the door to leave. "I am sure that with the situation as it is you would not wish to impede my intentions. We will try again tommorow."
"A-as you wish your Highness," Old Osmond said just before Henrietta turned and left, closing the door behind her and leaving Osmond and Agnes in the ritual chamber. "Ah, I'm getting to old for this," Osmond muttered after a few seconds of silence as he turned to a nearby table and leaned on it.
"Has anything been found, Osmond?" Agnes asked as she walked around the room to the table, her face filled with stray hope.
"Thankfully yes. Mr Colbert sent me a missive from the academy stating that he found some information that is useful to the situation."
"Thank the founder! What did he tell you?" Agnes asked in relief.
"Well it is merely information, but it does answer some questions for us. He states he found a book that explained a common occurrence with the Founders magic in that it manifests normally in the second or third children of powerful mages."
"So the third Valliere. But how does that-"
"I was getting there," Osmond said, stopping Agnes from continuing. "He also mentions that the book mentions that if a Void mage disappears it is not uncommon for someone close to them to gain the Void magic. It also states that if one who has royal blood in them gains the void magic, it has a habit of changing them in some way, usually by amplifying or removing emotions or emotional concepts."
"So that is what happened," Agnes said in a combination of sorrow and disgust.
"Yes, it likely is," Osmond commented with a sigh.
"Was there anything else? Anything about, Familiars?" Agnes as she rubbed the back of her gloved left hand anxiously.
"Not explicitly, no," Osmond replied before turning to face Agnes. "May I ask what emotions you believe The princess may have lost or had amplified?"
Agnes was quiet for many moments before she shallowly nodded. "I believe sadness or sorrow, though I cannot guess what may have been made greater with the way she is now acting."
"Yes, that feels accurate."
" . . .did you impede the princesses spell?" Agnes asked suddenly.
"By channeling a small amount of mana into it, yes," Osmond answered.
"Why?" Agnes asked, surprisingly not sounding angry.
"I am worried about what the princess intends. The young Valliere spent almost four months according to her diary preparing and researching. The circle she used as well was less than a meter across. The princess is using a circle nearly twelve times that size and has slightly altered the runes for a reason she will not tell me."
"Why is that bad?" Agnes asked.
"Ah, I forget you are not versed in magic rituals, though few are. A rituals circle decides how much magic can be pushed into it, which decides the power of the spell," Osmond explained.
"So with the princesses circle being larger, the spell would be stronger, correct?"
"Yes. Unfortunately the size amplification is not a simple matter. If the young Valliere circle was a twelfth of this size and moved just herself and nothing else to that other place, I fear this circle would move far more than just a person."
"what makes you think that?"
"Experience," Osmond said seriously as he gestured to the circle. "The magical circle for the familiar summoning ritual is almost this size, about a third smaller, but it is such a size because it is comprised of multiple spells. The amount of power she has so far out into this circle worries me for what the effect could become."
"Then we will have to council the princess of such. Even if her emotions have been changed, she is still the same girl. I am sure she will listen to council!" Agnes said assuredly.
Osmond however was not so positive as he mumbled to himself not being heard as Agnes moved to leave the room. Once she had left and the door closed behind her, began tidying up for a while before he found himself staring at the youngest vallieres diary on the table. "I am sorry girl. By hiding your magic I hoped to protect you from those of the nobility that would take advantage of you. Yet I only caused more pain for you, and now my choices cause even more worry. I hope the place you went is truly a good home where you are happy. And I hope the princess does not succeed in dragging you back here, lest the situation becomes even more complicated, for all of us."
Uraninite stared out at the sea of flows, and the very obvious sizzling line burned into them, and smirked before taking a seat on the top of the cliff, letting the excess crystal over their arms break away into the snow. The resulting steam that came away from them was oddly calming, and almost drowned out the cries and yelps from Phos behind them, who was working with Kongou and Antarcticite on controlling their gold alloy.
Uraninite was watching for Lunarians while also vaporising Floes because it turned out that their Radiation did not play well with Phos's alloy. Or perhaps it played too well as it made it more malleable. Enough to make then turn into a lump of goo on the ground, the alloy within them unable to harden and provide structure or support.
Uraninite turned around to watch just in time to see Phos plant their face in the snow they had probably just moments before let grow out of their feet. Their alloy was extremely versatile in how much it could expand itself. Of course until they learned to control it, it was only comical to watch and would hardly be useful in combat.
"Heh, not like I was that good at combat when I started getting taught either," Uraninite muttered to themselves as they turns back to the ocean and stared out at it, letting their memory wander.
*flashback*
"Good, you are improving!" Euclase said with a calm smile as they parried a swing Uraninite made.
"in swordplay maybe," Uraninite said as they held up their blade, looking at the closer end of the blade near the handle that was starting to turn a pink tinted orange in color. A bad sign considering the blade was made of stone. "I still can't control my radioactivity that well, and as soon as I get into the swing of it I start heating the blade. This one hasn't snapped yet, but . . . ."
"Now enough of that, you will never get better if you do not continue to try, no?" Euclase said as they lifted their blade, a calm invitation for Uraninite to try again.
"Alright, here I come!" Uraninite declared as they moved toward Euclase again and swung their blade down at them. A quick parry pushed the blade away, forcing Uraninite to try a horizontal swing. At least that was the feint they tried, shifting it into a simple thrust instead.
Euclase appeared to see it coming and moved to the side and flicked their blade up, catching Uraninites.
And unfortunately causing the blade to snap at the bottom where it connected to the handle, right where it had been glowing from their radioactivity.
"Ah, dammit!" Uraninite swore as they threw the handle of their blade to the ground in annoyance, the core of their arms starting to ever so faintly glow orange, showing their anger and annoyance even more clearly.
"Oh, oh dear."
Uraninitie looked to see Euclase pointing out to the plains and followed their finger. The first thing they saw was Bort walking out on patrol with Diamond. The second thing they saw was the blade of their sword twirling through the air. Right towards Bort.
"Oh, no, Bort!" Uraninite called out, a second to late, but perfectly in time to the blade striking and bouncing right off of Borts head.
The wind stopped as if afraid as Diamond covered their mouth in surprise, while Bort turned their gaze toward Uraninite and Euclase. Very, very, slowly.
"I'm going to run," Uraninite said very matter of factly, all the glow from their previous annoyance completely gone.
"That is only going to make it worse," Euclase said calmly. "If you apologize I am sure Bort will understand."
"Uraninite!" Bort roared at the top of their voice as they began storming in their direction.
"I'll apologize when they don't look like they want to break my legs again," Uraninite said as they took a step backwards towards the school.
"You know that was an accident, right?"
"I do. . . I'm still running though!" Uraninite said as they turned and began running towards the school.
"Get back here Glowy!" Bort screamed, making Uraninite run even faster into the school, quickly turning down halls to try to find a place to hide.
"Oh, Uraninite what is-"
"Cant talk, running for my life!" Uraninite said as the ran past Jade and up a flight of stairs to the second floor.
"Where are they?" echoed Borts voice from below.
"Uraninite went that way," responded Jade.
"Traitor!" Uraninite called back unintelligently, causing the sound of Bort running up the stairs to make them rush down the halls faster. They needed to get away until at least Bort had calmed down. Could they hide in their room? No, Bort would find them. The beat plan was probably to climb out a window to get back out to the fields around the school. Luckily there was a window around the corner at the end of the hall!
Only Uraninite turned to early and found themselves through the doorway of someone's room. There were great big bookshelves covered in wooden cases, crates of wooden branches and logs on the floor, and what appeared to be molds of some kind. The rooms owner was also standing behind a table with pieces of stone and a mold on it, looking at Uraninite curiously.
"Sorry wrong room I-" Uraninite stopped as they heard Bort behind them yelling their name. "I'm sorry, please hide me?"
"Behind the shelving right there," the black Gem said as they pointed to a gap between the shelves and the adjacent wall.
Uraninite immediately rushed over and squeezed into the small area, making sure they could not be seen. Right before the clack of feet announced Borts presence.
"Something wrong Bort?"
"No… you haven't seen Glowy, have you Obsidian?"Bort asked.
"Who?"
"Sorry, Uraninite."
"Oh, I think someone ran past a moment ago, but I didn't look," Obsidian answered Bort.
"They must have gone for the window and climbed out then. Thank you. Uraninite get over here!" Bort yelled as they ran off.
Silence reigned for a good minute after the sound of Bort running and yelling disappeared. only to be interrupted with a question. "Uraninite, right?"
"Uh, yeah," Uraninite said as they ca e out of their hiding place and looked at their savior. "Its Obsidian, right?"
"It is. I think we've only spoken once before when Kongou introduced you to everyone."
"Err, sorry about that, and thank you for covering for me,"
"Its fine. And don't worry about not recognizing me. I'm normally up here so I don't go out a lot," Obsidian said with a smile. "So, why are you running from Bort?"
"Uh . . . . Euclase is teaching me the basics of combat, but I keep breaking the swords. When I broke it the blade flew over to the field and hit Bort in the head."
"That explains it. So you are the one breaking all of my blades," Obsidian said.
"Your blades?" Uraninite asked curiously
"Well I am the one who makes all of them for everyone. And makes more when they break or repairs them" Obsidian explained calmly as they pointed to what appeared to be a barrel of swords with their handles pointing to the ceiling.
"Oh, uh . . . . sorry," Uraninite said as they recalled how many swords they were responsible for breaking. It was more than just a couple. Quiet a few more than just a couple.
"it's alright, it gives me more chances to make everyone's blades better," Obsidian said with a soft grin. "May I ask how you have broke so many though? Your not trying to sharpen them on your hair like Bort used to, right?"
"I don't think I have the hardness for that, " Uraninite deadpanned as they looked around and sat down on a closed crate across from Obsidians work table.
"Oh? What is your hardness then?" Obsidian asked as they leaned on the table curiously.
"Five point five."
"So your not much higher than I am. There's no way you should be able to break that many swords with that toughness normally then."
"why?"
"Because I make the blades and my toughness is five."
Uraninite looked at Obsidian for a few seconds before it suddenly clicked. "Wait, the blades are made out of Obsidian. Out of you?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"I can selectively melt and regrow parts of myself if have the energy, essentially making more of myself when I do. Its how I make the blades for everyone swords," Obsidian explained as they showed Uraninite an example, extruding glowing obsidian out of a finger into a small mold. Once it cooled they pulled it out, revealing a small knife like the one Rutile used for harvesting plants. "Just like that!"
"That's . . do you not lose memories?" Uraninite asked in wonder as they took the knife from Obsidian and looked it over.
"Not when making more obsidian. If I get broken I still would lose memories, but since I'm usually in here I don't have to worry."
"Wow that's . . . . kind of like me in a way," Uraninite said as they looked down at their hands.
"Oh, how so?"
"I have Radiation. Kongou explained it as an energy within myself that generates itself. With it I seem to be able to grow crystal out of myself and heat things but its hard to control, and I think its why I keep breaking swords," Uraninite explained simply as they could.
"Hmmm, can you show me with that knife?" Obsidian asked curiously.
"I can try, but I have mostly been learning not to use the ability, so I don't know if I can," Uraninite warned as they held the knife in one hand and tried to use their ability. For a few seconds nothing happened, and then their hand and arm started to glow inside a odd orange color. Then small parts of their arm started to grow and expand irregularly.
"interesting. How long does it take to warm the blade normally?" Obsidian asked.
"Uh, I think it should be already, " Uraninite said as they looked at the knife blade in confusion as it wasn't glowing at all.
"So it normally Happens fast? "
"Well. If I get exasperated when training, which has been happening a bit, it occurs over time, but I'm forcing it, so it should be glowing already!"
"Hmmm. Oh, put that down and pick up a sword, okay?" Obsidian suggested suddenly.
"Okay?" Uraninite replied as they out the knife back on the table and walked over to the crate of incomplete swords and picked up one by where its handle would be. In barely a second its handle was orange and the glow was traveling up the blade, only for the blade to fracture and break in half a second later right at the handle area.
"They break like that, right?" Obsidian asked with a smile.
"Yeah, but how did you know it would break?" Uraninite asked.
"I didn't, but I had a hunch when the knife didn't get effected by your energy. Because I make the blades out of myself I have to let them sit for a while otherwise the small amount of inclusions in them can do strange things."
"Like what?"
"Like trying to fuse with everyone else's hands, " Obsidian said sigh a small, barely audible giggle. "I learned that early on, so probably only Yellow Diamond remembers that little problem as it almost happened to them."
"That, is a strange idea," Uraninite said as they looked back at the knife on the table, looked at their still slightly glowing hand covered in crystal growths, and sighed. "I wish I could control this better. It takes forever for the heat to dissipate, and if I break off the growths when they are glowing, they keep glowing until they explode."
"How long does it take to go away?"
"Sometimes an hour, sometimes longer. Long enough that it makes things difficult because I can't touch anything while its like this," Uraninite complained as they sat back down, being very careful not to touch anything with their glowing hands and arm.
Obsidian made an odd face for a few seconds before grinning and walking around the table, holding their arm out proudly. "Grab my arm!"
"Uh, okay?" Uraninite said as they reached lit to do so with their not glowing or grotesquely crystal covered arm, only for obsidian to pull their arm away.
"No, use the growth covered one, while it's still glowing!"
"What?! But I can't! You could get hurt! If I touch another Gem with my Radiation I could damage them so bad they could need a limb replaced completely!"
"How do you know that?" Obsidian asked curiously as they held out their arm again.
"K-Kongou. He said that radiation can change the color of some Gems or alter their properties. And with how strong my radiation is, and my lack of control, I-"
"Then you just need to learn how to control it!" Obsidian said as they grabbed Uraninite's glowing hand and out their other in their palm, forcibly closing it on them.
"Aaaaaaahhhh, what are you doing!? Stop it!" Uraninite cried as they used their free hand to try to remove Obsidians from them, only to find that they had a better grip than expected.
"Nope, not until you –"
"I don't want to hurt you or anyone else due to my inability, so please let go!" Uraninite pleaded, their eyes closed and expression pined as they tried to struggle out of obsidians grip.
Then due to the struggling of both, Uraninite fell off the crate and onto the floor, and Obsidian landed on top of them. "You need to calm down. Look, I'm fine!"
"What?!" Uraninite exclaimed in shock as they opened their eyes to see Uraninite straddling their body, and both of their hands and arms perfectly fine. "H-How?"
"Well, I took a chance. I figured something was up from the knife not heating when it was newly made, and I guess being that we can both grow more of ourselves without losing memory I guess I hoped I'd be immune. And it looks like I am!" Obsidian declared as they ran their hands down their arms, showing off how there was nothing wrong with them at all before climbing off of Uraninite and offering a hand.
Uraninite very slowly took Obsidians hand with their still glowing one and let themselves be helped up, staring at Obsidians hand immediately afterword. "you are really immune to my radiation?"
"Seems so!" Obsidian stated as they walked halfway around the table before stopping. "Hmmm, I wonder if it is because of my make up?"
"Your make up?"
"Yeah, obsidian is, Sensei explained it as a glass that forms when hot liquid rock hits water. My make up is a bit different than the other gems in that way."
"Kongou said something similar to me too," Uraninite exclaimed in surprise. "that I was more mineral and energy than the other Gems."
Both Uraninite and Obsidian looked at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into a short fit of laughter.
"Oh, were so similar yet this is our first time really talking, that's pretty bad," Obsidian said first.
"Well, Kongou has been teaching me a lot. How to suppress my ability and more recently starting in how to use it."
"But you still can't control it well?"
Uraninite shook their head in clear annoyance "No, its easier to supress than use."
"Hmmm, then why don't I try to help you!" Obsidian suggested after a few seconds of thought.
"What?"
"Well we both have different than normal make ups, and I'm immune to your radiation. Since my ability has some similarity to yours too, wouldn't it make sense to see if I can help you?" Obsidian asked with an oddly sly grin plastering their face.
"Wouldn't that be dangerous though? I mean, what if you are not immune? What if I-"
"It will be fine," Obsidian said with a wave of their hand. "We can talk to Sensei about it and get his blessing."
"Okay, but what do you get out of this?" Uraninite asked curiously.
"I can't do this out of good intent?"
"You could, but the only ones I'd expect that from would be Dia or Euclase."
"Not sensei?"
Uraninite shook their head. "No, he feels too. . . . . well he keeps secrets, and I'm not sure what he's thinking. So what are you getting out of helping me?"
"That's fair. As for what I'm getting, it would be information, ways to make everyone's swords stronger and better!"
Uraninite sat for a few seconds before nodding their head and standing up. "Alright, let's see what Kongou has to say!"
*Flashback end*
The sound of Phosphophylite yelping brought Uraninite out of their thoughts, turning to see them flailing around in the snow like a golden green blob as Antarcticite stood there shaking their head.
Uraninite let out a chuckle as they turned back to the ocean, their thoughts returning to the memory they had just been considering. "Heh, if I hadn't hit Bort I probably wouldn't have met Obsidian that day. If I hadn't met them, I wouldn't have met Cinnabar either, or have gotten either of their help in mastering my ability," Uraninite figured before letting out another chuckle. "I'll have to see where Obsidian may have put my sword. I should try to not be rusty if they want to out on patrol when they wake up once spring comes!"
Notes by Kibble: so first off, flashbacks are not something I really have experience with in writing, and I have mixed feelings about them. I've seen them used well, but I've also seen a lot of them that were essentially useless or did not contribute to the story. So I apologize if the flashback is not amazing.
Secondly, Obsidian does indeed have the ability to 'extrude' parts of themselves to make the blades, but it is not delved into in the manga as far as I am aware. I just added to the ability in a way I thought made sense.
I could say more, but I'd rather see what people bring up or think of things before denying people that fun, so I hope everyone is liking this so far.
The next chapter, as I am planning, will be a serious game changer, so look forward to it!