"We meet again, Miss Valliere."

Louise shrunk at a bit at the words, even though they were said in a neutral tone. The girl fidgeted in her seat as she sat before the principal of the academy that she resided in.

Osmond, or Old Man Osmond as some of the students would call him, wasn't even looking at her. Instead, his eyes were pre-occupied with the various floating documents that surrounded him. Though there was a gap in between the floating papers that allowed her to see him.

"It's only been a week since the last time you were here," He said, eyes focusing on a document to his left "Just before you summoned your Familiar if I recalled."

"Ye-Yes Principal Osmond," Louise nodded "It was the incident with Professor Chevreuse."

He nodded his head, and gave a thoughtful hum "And I assume that the situation this time is the same as well?" he glanced at her from the corner "That, despite warnings, Professor Levi still asked you cast a spell?"

"Yes," she nodded again "He asked me, specifically, to try and cast the Water Levitation spell." She saw him raise an eyebrow, and explained "He said that it was because of my affinity that he was confident that I could perform the spell."

"I see," the papers that were floating in the air moved, they all shifted into a single neat stack and placed in the middle of his desk. He turned his gaze on her completely, "I hope that you are aware, that in both incidents you harmed both of the professors."

She flinched "I," she gulped down the saliva that she didn't realise was in her mouth "I apologies, Principal Osmond." Her eyes met his "I tried to cast the spell but I failed both times."

Osmond nodded "I appreciate your continued attempts in your spells Miss Valliere" a gentle smile grew on his face "Rest assured that you won't be in too much trouble."

"However," His voice turned from calming to serious "Know this Miss Valliere, even if these were accidents both Professor Chevreuse and Professor Levi were injured because of them." His eyes narrowed "Chevreuse is still somewhat recovering from the explosion last week," he tapped the side of his head "The injury to her head seems to be taking longer to heal, then her injuries to her body."

Louise didn't know that she was still recovering! She seemed fine when she came back to teach any following Earth Classes. All she seemed to notice was that she just flinched a lot.

"And this incident with Professor Levi," Osmond's voice knocked her out of her thoughts "You said that he took two explosions during class?" He asked her.

"Yes, the first one only broke the jug and pushed us away from the table. But the second one was the explosion that broke the table, and knocked out Professor Levi" She explained.

"That's concerning," His eyes looked down "Especially…" he trailed off, before he closed his eyes with a sigh. When he opened them, he had a weary look in them "Miss Valliere, I hope you know how important these two are to their families and to the kingdom. If any of them were to suffer any kind of grievous or permanent injuries, even if by accident, the fallout of such actions cannot be simply dismissed as 'It was their fault'."

Louise didn't say anything.

The thought of her explosions harming someone had never even came up to her, since this was the first time it had been brought up like this.

Frankly Louise was lucky that she had gotten away scot-free for just the property damage that she had built up over the course of last year. Broken windows, broken chairs, broken desks.

Before this year, the teachers had been impersonal, simply giving them a task on their tables and told them to cast the spells until they could memorise them.

Push and pull the earth, move the water to the side, make the fire on the candle brighter or dimmer, a gentle breeze.

She never managed to cast any of them, they'd all blow up in her face, break her desk and ruin her notes for the day.

"Miss Valliere."

Osmond's stern voice knocked her out of her thoughts again. "I understand, Principal Osmond" Louise replied to her previous statement.

"Good, then I hope you can understand when I say that until you can control your spells I'll asking you not to cast them in class."

Her eyes widened "B-But Principal Osmond!"

"It's for the safety of the professors, the other students," his eyes narrowed and stared right through her "And your reputation as a Valliere."

The last sentence cut off her retort.

He saw her body went stiff and nodded "And I am sure that your mother would not like it if her daughter were to be dismissed from the academy because of 'accidentally' hurting another Noble, now would she."

There was a moment of silence between them, neither of them said anything as Osmond's last words hung in the air.

"I," Refuse!

I am a mage, I shouldn't have to limit myself just because of a few mistakes that I made. I want to keep casting spells, I want to show that I can actually do it!

Those words were so tempting to say, for Louise to proclaim proudly to the man in front of her. She wasn't going to back down just because she wasn't good enough.

But she couldn't say them, because the alternative of being assumed that she wasn't good enough, was overshadowed by the figure of someone who already knew that she wasn't good enough.

And even if her being seen as not good enough wasn't enough to dissuade, what was she going to do in response. Go against the rules, break the Rule of Steel that had been hammered in her.

She's already disappointed her mother enough.

"I understand, Principal Osmond" Louise meekly nodded her head "I'll avoid casting any spells in class."

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement Miss Valliere." Osmond nodded thankfully towards her "Don't feel too bad however, you can still practice on your own, maybe you can finally get the hang of your affinity so that you know what element to focus on."

"Right," Louise got up from her chair "I'll do that Principal Osmond."

She turned and left.

When she exited the room, she was surprised to see another small figure climb up the stairs.

Bug's head turned towards her when he reached the top.

"Bug?" She asked, crouching on the ground as it approached her "What're you doing here? Didn't I ask you not to follow me?"

Wordless it brought out its map, and then pointed at it.

"So you just wanted to explore huh?" She smiled, before she reached forward and lifted it under her arms "You never seem to have much of a goal in mind, for such a smart Familiar you know?"

I DO HAVE A GOAL IN MIND

"Do you now?" She looked down at it.

It nodded its head and pointed out the window.

She followed its arm, as it pointed to the outside world. Her smile faltered a bit "You want to be free?" She asked it.

It shook its head, and pointed again.

She stood up and moved closer to the window. She turned Bug so that it was facing the window, instead of her, and held it against her chest. There was sound of, whatever Bug was made of, against glass as it pointed outside once more.

She looked at how it was pointed high "The sky, you want to fly?" It shook its head, it tapped against the glass once more, and she guessed the next thing "The clouds, you want to reach them?"

Again it shook its head, and kept pointing into something that was high above them. It took a moment and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw what Bug was pointing at "You want to reach the Sun?"

It nodded.

I WISH TO REACH IT

Louise continued to laugh, "Such high goals for a small creature." Her laughter died down as the words registered in her mind.

"I guess you really are my Familiar."

She stared out the window for a few more moments, holding Bug as she thought about what was told to her.

Her skills were just too dangerous because she wasn't competent enough as a mage to control them. Her grip on Bug tightened.

Even here she was looked down on due to her lack of abilities, her dream as a Mage just seem less and less possible.

Yet in her hands right now was a small Water Spirit that wanted to reach the hottest object in existence, probably not even knowing that it would evaporate on the spot just by coming close to it. But it was still trying, the map it was making grew every time it moved about the school.

"You know Bug?" She looked down, before she had to move her head back when its horns nearly caught her eye, but winced a bit when it dug into her shoulders "Maybe we can find someone to get you to the Sun. Or at least, as close as we can get to it." She started walking towards the steps "Who knows, maybe you can get help youself if you really want to."

YOU WOULD ALLOW IT?

The statement confused her for a moment, before she recalled the many limitations that she had placed upon it. Not allowing it to leave for the night, not allowing it tools for it use (Admittedly against rats). So she shouldn't be surprised that it was confused by her allowing another person to assist it.

"Of course," she smiled "As long as they don't ask you to do anything bad, you can get some help from anyone." There as pause, before she frowned "Except for Zerbts," she paused on one of the steps to bring Bug to eye level, turning it around so that she could look it in the eye "I do not want you, to be anywhere near her."

It nodded her head.

"Good." Her frown was replaced with another smile. She continued down the steps "Of course, with such generosity from your Master, I'd expect something in return." She looked down at it "You're supposed to be my Familiar right?"

It nodded its head.

"Well, as a Familiar they must assist a Mage in whatever they can do." She passed by the Vault of the school, and the slightly confused guard that stood over it "So as your Master, you'll be helping practice my spells for the next few days."

SPELLS?

She nodded her head "Like what I tried this morning, I'm going to prove that I can cast spells safely." She looked forward "I'll prove my own abilities to everyone, that I'm worthy of the Valliere name" she muttered.

She could feel it tilting its head against her chest, its horns digging slightly into her cloak.

"Well, that's for later, for now it's Lunch." She looked down at Bug, head still tilted upwards to face her "Want to join me?"