Takes some stuff from the LN, and some stuff are headcanon. Just remember that the source material technically isn't finished, so...yeah.

Also, a quick mention:

CW: Mind Control

Weeks pass by, and soon summer arrives. The Academy empties out. Siesta brings Saito to her hometown. And she and Tabitha have returned to Tabitha's house as promised. Elise is there to greet them with a hug, and their days pass on in pleasant halcyon.

They don't stop training. There is a field not too far afield from where the house is, and they claim it as their own. They don't train all the day however, mostly because when they tried Elise dragged them by the ear. The woman had also tried to stop the painful balance Louise places on herself during her training, but she knows her body best. She tells Elise that she's fine, and Tabitha helpfully pipes up and mentions how she hasn't blown herself to smithereens.

Elise eventually lets the matter drop, though not without suffocating her in a painfully comfortable hug for a few minutes. Tabitha joins it after a few seconds.

Their mornings are spent training, and then the rest of the day is enjoyed. "This is summer break, you do realize." Elise says once, and there is little Louise and Tabitha can say to that. Still, it means more time to spend just…living, she supposes. Enjoying her time. It's something she sorely misses.

But then, some way through their vacation, an emissary from Galia appears. Louise manages to see him still an hour away, and in a panic, she rushes over and wakes Elise and Tabitha up. Their faces darken when she tells them of what she's seen, and Elise outright snarls. "That useless, spineless bastard."

"I'll…meet him." Tabitha says slowly. Reluctantly.

Louise shakes her head and places a hand on her shoulder. "We will. Together." She then turns and gives an apologetic smile at Elise. "I'm sorry, but do you mind hiding in this room for the next hour? I'll place a Silence and Illusion to hide you away." The woman doesn't look particularly pleased, but she nods.

A Silence and Illusion is cast over the room, and with a promise to stay safe, they leave and head for the living room. They sit on the couches in stilted silence, and she occasionally turns to the windows to see where the man was. The bell then rings, and Louise just manages to stop herself from exploding the door and instead gently taps Tabitha's shoulder. "Let's go."

Tabitha nods, and together they pull the door open. "Tabitha, a mission has come from our King." He says through his helm, before turning to her. "And who's this?"

"Friend." Tabitha whispers, and Louise can feel the slow rise of her willpower. "What, mission?"

The man stares at her for a few more seconds before he turns back to Tabitha. "Lagdorian Lake has begun rising. Head there and defeat the Water Spirit, lest she eventually drowns the world." He then adds, "Do not fail." Tabitha stills before she manages to nod. The man huffs before he turns away. "I will take my-"

"Oh no you don't."

Before the man can do anything, Louise reaches over and grasps the back of his helmet. She lets loose the willpower she's been keeping at bay for the past few seconds, and he screams before he slams into the dirt. Her Void Magic activates, and the thick steel helm he wears begins to tear itself into thin shreds of steel. It reveals a pair of fearful eyes, and she smiles with teeth. "You're not leaving so quickly."

Then her Void Magic rises again, and the man screams as she begins tearing his own memories to shreds. She reaches forth, grabs them, and like paper she tears them apart. Then she reforms them, gluing it all back together, but with one addition of her own.

She lifts her hand from his head, and he blinks. Then, he suddenly drops onto his knees and shouts, "Forgive me for my misconduct, mistress!"

Tabitha's eyes are wide. "...how?"

Louise smiles weakly. "It's…" She tries to say before turning away. Because what can she say? That she learnt it after Tiffania was so cruelly murdered? That she learnt it because the Void so easily breaks the mind of the common man? That she learnt it so that she could snap her own crumbling mind back together?

She doesn't end up saying anything in the end, and Tabitha takes it as the worst scenario. She reaches over and hugs her. "I'm sorry." She whispers, as if she was guilty for not being there. Louise stays there for a full minute, uncaring that the man was watching them. They then separate, but Tabitha stands closer.

"Why does Joseph care about Lagdorian Lake?" She asks the man.

"He desires the Ring of Andavari."

Louise silently curses. Of course the mad king wants the artifact that can manipulate minds and the dead. Of course he wants that. She sighs. "Taking the Water Spirit down is not something anyone can do. Why does Joseph have so much faith in Tabitha?"

"He doesn't." The man says simply, as if those words aren't wrong.

And something inside her just snaps.

With a snarl she raises her hand, and the skies above are alight with several dozen explosions, each large enough to destroy entire districts of buildings. The rage finally leaves her then, and she turns down to see the man shaking in fear. "Is that so?" She asks slowly, uncaring for the mist escaping from her lips. "So he expects her to die?"

"Y-Yes, mistr-" She punches him before he can finish. He drops onto the earth, unconscious.

She steadies her breathing and slowly turns to Tabitha. She…doesn't look as shaken as she expects her to. Tabitha looks more awed with the massive explosions she caused. "Amazing." She hears Tabitha whisper, and she can't help but shyly laugh at the compliment.

With that done, she presses her palm into the pile of shredded steel, and from it reforms the helm. She slams it back onto the man, and with some quick Void Magic, she reforms his memories and removes her little addition. He wakes up, confused, and she simply says. "You tripped and hit your head on a rock. Are you alright, good sir?"

"Y-Yes I am." He quickly stands and bows. "Thank you for your aid. I bid thee farewell." And saying that he turns and quickly leaves. Louise shares a quick wry smile with Tabitha before they head back into Elise's room. The spells she cast falls then, and Elise quickly heads to them and asks what happened.

Louise tells her, and Elise sighs. "Of course. That man stops at nothing in his bid for power." She closes her eyes. "I don't want you to head there. Either of you." She shakes her head with a rueful smile. "But I can't stop you, can I?"

Louise grimaces. "I…I'm afraid so. We must at least stop the Water Spirit from drowning the world first." She explains, and Tabitha nods by her side.

Elise stares at them, before she lets free a small smile. "Then go with my blessings."

So they did.

They garb themselves with what essentials they might need. A cloak in case of rain. Several daggers hidden under. A sword for Louise. Gloves for Tabitha. Elise smiles at them then, and she gives them a tight hug before they fly away atop Sylphid. The house quickly goes out of view, and they soar just below the clouds.

It'll take them hours to reach the lake. It'll most likely be dusk by the time they arrive. There is a…low chance the Water Spirit will actually attack them, but a small chance is still a chance. And fighting in the dark is hardly advantageous.

So they fly, and soon the lake comes into view. The man is right. The lake has grown far larger, and the village that was once there is gone, swallowed by the rising tides. They descend, and Sylphid gently hums as Tabitha tells her to stay safe. The wind dragon flies away, and together they head for the lake.

They stop just by the lake's edge, and Louise takes a breath as she dips a finger into the water. She licks her lips, and her willpower rises as she begins to speak. "Oh great spirit of water, heed my call!"

A glow pulses out from her finger, and before them the water begins to rise, molding together into something vaguely human. The being grows in size, and before long the Water Spirit forms, its height taller than even the trees around them. "For what reason have you called upon me, oh Savior?"

Louise blinks at the title, before she shakes her head. It isn't strange for Spirits to know of the future. The Water Spirit most likely knows of her little trip back to the past. "We have heard of the Ring of Andavari, and how it has been wrongfully stolen from you." She takes a breath. "If we return it to you, will you cease this rise and return these waters to where they belong?"

The Water Spirit remains silent for a few moment, and she feels her willpower rise in anticipation. Thankfully, the spirit eventually nods. "I have seen your heart. Of what you can and shall do. Retrieve my ring, and these waters shall descend." And with that, the spirit's body breaks and the water splashes back into the lake.

"Savior?" Tabitha asks, and Louise manages to steady her shoulders as she shrugs.

"Something about what I've gone through, probably." She says casually, not quite thinking. She only realizes something is wrong when Tabitha doesn't respond. She quickly turns to see that Tabitha is staring at her, anger and sadness swirling in those bright blue eyes of hers. "What's wrong?" She asks.

Tabitha's lips go thin, and she shakes her head before engulfing her in a tight hug. Louise, still confused over what happened, takes the hug in silence.

Sylphid soon comes upon them. They ride up onto her back, and with a mighty flap they ascend into the skies. Their return trip is silent. Tabitha is heavily leaning into her, still visibly angered by something, and Louise can only wonder what she's said wrong.

And if she wraps her arms around the girl in a desperate bid for warmth, Tabitha doesn't say anything.

…

Elise is there to greet her when they return. Louise greets her back, but then Tabitha suddenly rushes over and whispers something into Elise's ears. What warmth there was falls away, and suddenly the woman's eyes are very cold indeed. Louise stills, confused, and her confusion only grows when Elise reaches over and holds her in a tight hug.

That confusion continues to grow as she drags her to bed. It grows as Elise and Tabitha refuse to leave her. She then realizes that they want to sleep together, and her confusion continues to spiral.

In the end, she falls asleep. Her dreams are nothing particularly interesting that night.

Tabitha asks her to show the strongest explosion she can pull off. Louise, naturally, declines and explains that she doesn't want to blow the forests around the house to ashes. But then Tabitha pulls her onto Sylphid, flies over to an empty field some distance away from the house, and creates a giant field of icebergs the size of a town "Explode." She says simply, as if she didn't just pull off an insane feat of her own.

Louise eventually sighs and accepts. Still atop Sylphid, she closes her eyes and begins flooding the world with her willpower. It rushes down onto the ground, coalescing into a singular core at the center of the massive field of ice. She gathers them, condenses them further, and with a small breath she whispers, "Explosion."

And the world is filled with light as the ice explodes. One moment the icebergs are there, and the next they are not. She slowly lowers her hand, and she turns to see Tabitha staring at her with barely concealed awe. She smiles lightly. "There." She says, and then yelps as Tabitha leaps and pulls her into a hug.

They end up falling off, and Sylphid cries out as she desperately attempts to grab them. She succeeds, and Louise finds herself cradled in Sylphid's claws, with Tabitha snuggling into her side.

Well, there are worse things that can happen, she supposes.

Fate is an interesting thing, she thinks.

It's a week before their summer vacation ends. It's the afternoon then, and she is alone in the living room as she enjoys a warm cup of tea. Tabitha and Elise are away at the moment, having gone to a nearby town, mostly because Elise has finally had enough of being cooped in this house. She stays, both because there needs to be someone to protect the house and because it's a moment for the mother and daughter to bond. Tabitha is saddened by it, but Elise whispers something to her, and her sadness is swiftly swept away by embarrassment.

Louise isn't sure what Elise said to Tabitha, and she has a feeling she doesn't want to know. That odd glint was in her eyes, the one that made her spine shiver in terror.

So she's enjoying a cup of tea when she feels someone approaching. Someone inhuman. She calls for the butler and immediately instructs him to hide. That someone potentially dangerous is coming. He nods, having seen her strength, and she carefully keeps her willpower steady as the presence approaches.

Then, the bell rings, and Louise takes a breath before she pulls the door open. And a man greets her. With long blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He looks beautiful, unnaturally so, and though hidden by his hair, she can see his sharp ears.

An elf. And a familiar one.

"Greetings." He says. "Might I know where Tabitha is?"

She supposes she should be cordial. That she should treat this elf carefully and not let him gain any suspicion. But,

He will become an ally, but at the moment this elf is an enemy. One that created the poison Elise drank. One that will create the Firestones Joseph will use to destroy Romalia. The one that will kidnap Saito and Tiffania.

So,

"No, you cannot." She says, her smile cold and her voice even. The elf freezes, and his eyes narrow. His mouth opens to speak, but she glares back. "I know you. I know what you have done." The air trembles as her willpower leaks. A weight settles in the air, and she sees his eyes widening in surprise. She smiles. It isn't a pleasant smile.

"I know you, elf."

"You-!"

But before he can do anything, she's flooded her legs with willpower, and she slams her elbow into his abdomen. He screams in pain and she leaps, sending him crashing a full yard away from the house. He coughs, surprised, and he snarls as he presses his palms into the earth. She feels the ground tremble then, and she watches as hundreds of vines race out from the ground around him.

She snaps her fingers, and a bright explosion rips through all the vines. They are shredded in an instant, and she grins as fear settles in his eyes.

"A-A demon…?"

"I prefer 'Void Mage', but to each their own."

"How…!? You're casting without a wand! And that technique-!"

"It's like an elf's?" She asks in return. "Truly, I don't have any misgivings about your lot. You're as human as everyone else. There is nothing strange about you. But," She narrows her eyes, and she raises her hand towards the sky. "You poisoned Elise. You tried to kill Tabitha." And softly she whispers. "You almost killed Saito."

And over her palm forms an orb of light. It quickly begins to grow. Soon it's the size of a house. Then it's the size of a tavern. And soon it's the size of a small fortress. "I won't kill you." She assures. But the smile she has is cold. "But it's going to hurt."

He calls forth another wave of vines, and he brings up a shield of willpower. But it does little in the end. The orb collapses into itself, and then everything goes white as an explosion rips through the world. Seen from a distance, it would have almost been as if a second sun had suddenly appeared.

Then, it fades. The dust settles, and Louise stands there unaffected. The elf is not so lucky. He is heavily burnt, and dying. But he is alive, and so she reaches over and begins reconstructing what she damaged. She steps back, and the man rises back up with a gasp. His eyes snap to her, before horror dawns on him as he looks around.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" She says casually. The man stills, and she lets her smile grow. "That's nothing compared to what Elise felt. Nothing compared to what Tabitha was forced to feel." She leans towards him, and her smile sharpens. "You're lucky you are not an enemy. I would've broken your body apart."

The man is frozen. And Louise gives him a playful twirl as she bows. "My name is Louise de La Valliere." She smiles. "Would you mind telling me why an upstanding elf such as you partnered with a devil like Joseph?"

He swallows and grits his teeth. He knows he can't do anything, and she shamefully feels a dark sense of pleasure at it. "I-, came here to research humans." He says. It's the exact same words he'd said when Saito defeated him in her previous life.

She nods. "And?"

He scoffs, fear overwritten by disgust for the moment. "You are pathetic. And demons like you are as I remember-."

"Ah, ah, ah." She lets loose a small burst of willpower. The ground beneath her cracks. "Demon this, demons that. I understand if you were talking about Brimir." Her face falls for a moment. She remembers first learning of the injustice Brimir did to the elves. It isn't a pleasant memory. "That man has caused your kind great harm, and I can understand your hatred."

"So why-"

"But for a race as long lived as you are, you are truly lacking insight."

She breathes. "Tell me, what is Void Magic?" The elf opens his mouth, and then closes it. She smiles wanly. "Exactly. No one knows what Void Magic actually is. All we know is that any magic not based on the elements must be Void Magic. But, if I'm a Void Mage, then why can't I wield the forces of the Void itself?"

She grimaces. She knows the Void. Has felt it burrow into her mind. Even given the choice, she will never willingly wield the Void as her own.

"It's like calling anything sharp a sword. Or saying Wind and Lightning are the same because they are based on the same element. It's an oversimplification. Because you know?" She smiles emptily. "The true Void is much, much more terrifying."

"Hate Brimir. Despise him. I don't care. Hate Joseph as well. But spare those that do not deserve it. Bring your hatred upon those that truly deserve it." The elf doesn't say anything to that. He can't. So she eventually sighs and asks, "Why don't we head back for some tea? Some refreshments would be nice."

The elf stares, confused at the sudden request, before he eventually follows her. They walk back in stilted silence, the elf still wary of her prowess. She doesn't do anything to answer nor relieve his tension.

They do end up having tea. The butler's eyes go wide open when he sees the elf enter, but Louise swiftly asks him to bring about a cup of tea. The tea is brought out in record time.

And then, they sit. For minutes they sit in silence. The elf observes her, wary but curious, and she lets herself enjoy the cup of tea she didn't quite finish. But then he begins to ask. He asks what she means by the true Void. He asks how he knows about what Brimir did. He asks how she has learnt techniques only the elves know.

She answers some and doesn't answer others. She doesn't explain what the Void actually is. She can, but she'd rather not talk about something no normal mortal should ever know of. She explains that she learnt of Brimir's doing from the spirits. Which is both true and false. She did learn it from the spirits. Just not in this life.

She takes a moment to decide whether to explain how she learnt her elven techniques. There's…nothing wrong with telling him. And it'll probably garner more favorability from the wary elf. But doing so will no doubt put the elves' attention on her. She isn't sure if that's a good or a bad thing.

She eventually decides to explain it anyway. She tells him of how, during a moment of grief, she meets with the departed soul of the elf known as Sasha, the first Gandalfr. She taught her what she now knows. She was the one who first taught her how to swing a blade. She was the one who led her to the spirits to find out what Brimir had done.

It isn't completely true. She doesn't explain how she met Sasha, because explaining that she met the deceased elf when she was swallowed by the Void isn't something she can easily explain. Nor how it was less teaching her and more painfully shoving knowledge into her brain.

The elf is completely floored.

When his questions end, she tells him to leave Galia. To return to his community. "Joseph will soon fall, and Tabitha-, nay, Charlotte will take his place." She says simply. "And soon, the curtain of the skies will be torn open, and the Void will begin its descent."

The elf straightens. "What might you mean?"

She grimaces. "Despite what I had said, Brimir did actually wield the Void. It is why the name has stuck for so long." She sighs. "But dealing with the Void is not something a mortal should ever do, and its consequences are not light. That man has taken from the Void, and it will reach into Halkegenia and take back what he has given to the world."

It doesn't take long for the elf to realize what she means. "You mean-"

She nods. "Yes." She narrows her eyes. "The magic Brimir has granted to humanity."

…

In the end, the elf—Bidashal, she later learns, promises to cut away all ties he has with Joseph and return to his community. And Louise knows he means it. For elves may hide and misdirect, but they do not lie. Strangely, as she watches him turn, she calls out to him. He turns back to her, confused, and a strange feeling wells up inside her chest.

She begins to speak before she knows anything else.

"You have done many wrongs, Bidashal of Varai. But I know you. I know what good you can do. Think as you return. Remember why you began on this journey. And when you return, tell your kind everything. Every injustice you felt, but also every happiness you saw. Every shred of despair and every light of hope. Speak of them. Tell them. Let your tales be one of caution, and one of hope. Bring the light of knowledge, and flourish."

Bidashal stares, his jaw loose, before he takes a breath and nods. "I shall take your words into my heart, priestess."

…what?

But before she can ask what he means, his form fades into the wind, and she's left standing out there like a fool as she ponders over the last few seconds. Just what was that feeling? Just why did she say all that? Why did he call her priestess?

She frowns as she glances at the sky.

And why do those words sound so familiar?

She doesn't know.

She sighs. It's worrying, to find out that there are still unknowns even after everything she's gone through. But, at the same time, she feels…excited, in a way. Because this is new. There are still things she doesn't know. There are still things to learn of. There are still things to find.

She supposes it's the student inside her. The small part of her that had kept her alive all throughout her time in the Academy. A part she thought she had grown out of.

She smiles wryly, and closes the door behind her. Because she hasn't finished her tea, and by god, she will finish her damn tea.