A/N: Hi guys! I know I know, I shouldn't be starting another series when I have so many I need to complete but I wanted to write something non-angsty and self-indulgent (all my other series are at angsty points rn and I've gotten lots of angsty requests lately) so this is what I came up with, also this will be slow to update, but I hope you all enjoy!
Also, this was written and finished last night right after the Greyche manga chapter that dropped a few weeks ago!
Hana, Hikari, Einar, and Josslyn do not belong to me they belong to /eme-eleff and /crazyclownthanos on tumblr!
It was a bright, sunny, summer day in the Clover Kingdom. The perfect day for a celebration. What kind of celebration do you ask? Why, the coronation of the next Wizard King of course!
After Fuegoleon Vermillion decided to step down and retire so he could spend more time with his family. So the Captain's all decided who the next one should be; many names came up but they all finally agreed on one.
Asta.
He had been waiting for so long, and had been working so hard, that he was the most qualified and most worthy of the title. Of course they debated on whether a mana-less citizen would be 'worthy' of the title, but they all decided that maybe that was a positive instead of a negative.
So after announcing their unanimous decision to the citizens of Clover, and Asta accepted, they began to plan the most extravagant of parties. Everyone who was anyone was welcomed, along with commoners and peasants that Asta had befriended over the years.
Asta walked around the room and greeted everyone shyly. He wasn't used to all of this positive attention and it was almost overwhelming. He said hello to Fanzelle and his family, Mars and Fana, Rebecca and her siblings, Kahono and Kiato, everyone he had met and helped along his journey was there. And he couldn't be more happy.
" Looks like you finally made it Asta, congratulations." Yuno said as he walked up to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. Asta jumped a bit and looked at him and grinned.
" Thanks Yuno, but I couldn't have made it here all on my own. If it weren't for you pushing me, and everyone here helping me out, I don't think I would have made it here without you all!" Asta said cheerfully and Yuno chuckled.
" Oh I think you would have made it here either way, you are you after all." Yuno said with a smile and Asta frowned.
" Hey what does that mean?"
" My husband means that you would have gotten here all on your own even without everyone's help. Because you're a strong and determined person." Neva, Yuno's wife, said with a soft smile as she walked up to them and looped her arm through her husbands. Asta shook his head.
" I don't think so, if it hadn't been for all of you I think I would have given up a long time ago." Asta admitted with a laugh before he felt someone shove his shoulder, he turned to look and saw his wife.
" So you were lying when you said never giving up was your power? Or are you just trying to avoid taking Yuno's compliment?" Noelle Silva asked as she crossed her arms, Asta quickly shook his head.
" No, of course not! Never giving up is my power, why would you think I was lying about that?!" Asta shouted loudly, causing everyone to laugh.
" Then I guess you just didn't want to accept my compliment, don't worry it'll never happen again." Yuno said with a teasing tone to his voice, causing Asta to turn towards him.
" Hey-!" He began but was quickly cut off by a group of girls running towards him.
" Daddy! Papa! Dad!" All three girls shouted in unison as they jumped into Asta's arms. He grinned brightly before he scooped them all up, hugged them tightly, and swung them from side to side.
" There's my girls! Are you guys having fun?" Asta asked brightly, and all three girls nodded and smiled back.
" Of course we are! But more importantly we're proud of you daddy! You worked hard!" Brielle, Asta and Noelle's oldest daughter, said brightly as she kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck.
" Yeah you worked hard dad, good job!" Mizuki, their middle daughter, said more calmly as she wrapped her small arms around his neck, but on the opposite side of Brielle.
" Good job papa! I hope you stay the Wizard King forever!" Kaiyo, their youngest, said with a giggle as she wrapped her smaller arms around him too.
" Geez I don't know who's more excited, them or Asta." Noelle said with a laugh and shake of her head.
" Definitely Uncle Asta, Brielle and the others are just excited about the free food and perks of being the Wizard Kings kids." A little girl's voice suddenly said calmly as it came closer to the group, the others looked up and smiled.
It was Miku Grinberryall, oldest daughter of Yuno and Neva, and following quietly behind her were her siblings Kito and Kya.
" That's not true! We're really happy for our daddy!" Brielle said with a pout as she moved out of her fathers arms, Miku suddenly smirked at her cousin.
" Really? Then why is the entire dessert table cleared of food?" Miku asked, her voice sounded teasing, but there was a hint of irritation in it as well. Meanwhile Kya was openly glaring at the other girls.
Much like their mother Neva, the Grinberryall girls loved their desserts, sweets, and bread. So the table being completely empty was akin to the highest of offenses.
" Uh maybe because there are other people here besides us that's eating it!" Brielle shouted, and Mizuki stepped forward with her arms crossed.
" Do you have any evidence to prove it was just us?" She asked with a confident look in her eyes, one similar to Noelle's. Kito suddenly stepped forward, with a serious and annoyed look on his face, one that looked identical to his fathers.
" The icing on Kaiyo's cheek, the powdered sugar on your sleeves, and the cream puff that Brielle is currently trying to sneak into her fathers pants pocket is more than enough evidence." Kito said as he pointed at all three girls. They all looked as Brielle froze, her hand holding her fathers pocket open, and in the other was a cream puff.
" That still doesn't mean we took all the desserts!" Mizuki pointed out and soon all the kids were arguing back and forth. Much to their parents dismay.
Their children were all very close despite them all living in separate countries, so close in fact that they all felt comfortable to bicker like this.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom stood the various Black Bulls families. They were all partying, laughing, and having a good time. It wasn't everyday that your squadmate and best friend became the Wizard King, so they were going to party it up tonight!
Well, all but a few.
Aloys Adlai, oldest son of Grey and Gauche Adlai, sat in the corner by himself. He wasn't really in the partying mood since he and his father fought earlier that morning, and if he were being honest, being in this room with all these people made his anxiety flare up. He sipped on his glass of water as he watched his father and little sister Maelie dance and laugh. He nearly scoffed, when was the last time he and his father laughed like that?
" Aloys," he suddenly heard someone say beside him and he turned to see his mother standing there with a small smile on her face.
" If you're here to ask me to apologize to him you can save your breath." Aloys said quickly and he watched Grey's cheeks turn a bright red.
" You two can't stay mad at each other forever you know, so why don't you try to-?" She began quietly but Aloys jumped up out of his seat and looked at his mother.
" Why am I always the one who has to take the high road?! Why do I always have to be the one to apologize first?! He's the one that started it!" Aloys said loudly and angrily, causing Grey to wince. As much as Aloys was like his mother, he was also very much his father.
" Why don't you make him apologize first? Why don't you ask him to extend the olive branch? Why do you always take his side over mine?!" Aloys shouted, hurt evident in his voice. Grey had a sadness in her eyes as she reached out towards her son.
" I don't always take his side-."
" But you do! By making me apologize first you're automatically taking his side!" Aloys shouted and he felt someone grip his shoulder tightly, and when he turned to look he saw his father Gauche standing there with a fiery anger in his eyes.
" Stop shouting you brat! Especially at your mother!" Gauche growled and Aloys glared right back.
" So it's okay for you to shout whenever you feel like it, and to whoever you feel like, but it's not okay for me to do it? You're such a hypocrite Old Man." Aloys growled as he moved out of his fathers grasp and walked towards the exit.
" Aloys wait!" Maelie said softly as she chased after her older brother, Gauche sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
" You alright?" He asked Grey, and she nodded.
" I'm fine," She said softly as she sat down in the chair Aloys previously occupied, Gauche crouched down beside her and held her hand. " but you two need to talk and work out your differences."
Gauche looked away as a pink appeared on his cheeks. He and Aloys have never gotten along, they were just too…similar. Gauche didn't know how to talk to him, to connect with him, or even how to tell him he was proud of him. It just…was hard for him.
" Maelie and I can't keep playing referee with you two. So you two need to sit down and talk, and I mean talk, not argue. Otherwise…I might have to see if Captain Yami will transfer Aloys to a different squad." Grey said seriously. She gave her husband's hand a gentle squeeze before she stood up and walked away. Gauche felt his heart sink.
That was the last thing he wanted, he couldn't imagine his son being in a different squad, and he refused to allow that to happen.
Meanwhile in another area of the ballroom stood Hikari Yami, daughter of Yami Sukehiro and Charlotte Roselei. She stood with her back against the wall and watched as everyone talked and danced, ate and drank, and just had a good time. Ezio Roulacase was following Josslyn Silva around as usual, Aloys had disappeared with Maelie, the Faust children were standing around talking with the Vermillion children, and the other Black Bull kids were being themselves along with their parents. As she looked around though she noticed a key person was missing.
The Captain, and Vice-Captain, of the Golden Dawn.
All the other squads and their Captains were here, but those two were oddly missing. That wasn't normal. Not only were they punctual on normal days, but they were never absent or late for formal events like this.
As she continued to ponder she sensed a familiar Ki behind her, she smirked a bit.
" You're late Vice-Captain Vangeance," She said with a playful tone as the person behind her sighed in defeat before moving to stand beside her.
" And here I was hoping that you would call me Pretty Boy instead of my formal title," Alistar said playfully and with a shake of his head, Hikari chuckled as she took a sip of her drink.
" I didn't feel like rewarding you for being late," she joked, causing him to chuckle. " If I did then you'll continue being late just so I'll call you 'Pretty Boy'."
" Ah drats, you caught onto my evil plan!" Alistar said dramatically as he placed a hand over his heart, Hikari snorted before playfully shoving his shoulder.
" Why are you late anyway? That isn't like you." Hikari pointed out seriously as she looked over at her white haired friend. The boy smiled his usual smile and shrugged.
" My father wasn't feeling well this morning, so we ran late. Sorry!" Alistar explained with a chuckle and Hikari nodded, it wasn't normal for Captain William Vangeance to get sick, but she decided to let it go for now.
" Everyones having a good time," Alistar admitted softly as the two fell quiet after a moment. Hikari just nodded in agreement. " Especially the Black Bulls."
" Well of course we are! You other squads are all too stiff and serious during these things, so someone's gotta make it fun, and it might as well be us!" Hikari said proudly and with a grin. Alistar chuckled and opened his mouth to reply but suddenly he felt someone grip the top of his head tightly. He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned slowly to face the person that had his head in a vice.
" I thought I told you to stay away from my daughter Pretty Boy," Captain Yami Sukehiro said, his voice low and dangerous. Alistar felt the color drain from his face.
" Geez dad put him down!" Hikari said as she walked over and tried to get her father to let her friend go. At the same time she heard heels click rush behind them and begin to do the same.
" Sukehiro let the poor boy go! He was only talking to her!" Former Captain Charlotte Roselei said as she grabbed her husband's arm, everyone knew she meant business when she called him 'Sukehiro' instead of Yami.
" Yeah papa please let big brother Alistar go! You'll hurt him!" Einar, Charlotte and Yami's youngest and only son, said with a sniffle as he tried to pull his fathers middle.
" I say let dad squeeze his head a little more, then maybe he'll get it through his thick head so as not to bother my sister anymore." Hana said as she crossed her arms, but had a smirk on her face, and Yami nodded.
" See Hana understands! And that's why she's my favorite!" He gave his middle child a thumbs up, and she gave him one back.
" C'mon you two that's enough! Geez you two act like Alistar wants to date me or something." She muttered as she continued to try and remove her fathers hand from Alistar's head.
This continued for another minute, with the Yami family arguing and bickering amongst each other, and poor Alistar was stuck in the middle just hoping to make it out alive.
" May I ask that you not kill my only son?" A voice asked with a chuckle, everyone stopped to look and saw William Vangeance standing there. Hikari, Yami, and everyone else moved away from Alistar and watched as the Captain of the Golden Dawn walked towards them.
Hikari looked the older man up and down for a moment. His Ki was normal, and he was acting as he usually did, but something was off. His face was pale, his eyes held a tired look in them, and apparently Hikari wasn't the only one who noticed because Yami stepped forward with a frown on his face.
" What's wrong with you Goldie Guts? You ain't looking so good." Yami asked, his voice sounded rough but everyone could tell he was worried about one of his oldest friends.
" I'm just feeling a little under the weather today, please don't worry." William said, waving away his concern. But Yami didn't look convinced, and neither did Charlotte or Hikari. Yami walked up to him and jerked his thumb towards the balcony.
" Let's go outside and talk for a minute," Yami said seriously, and William shook his head but still followed after Yami. Charlotte excused herself and told the children to behave before following behind them.
" What's up? First you're late, and now you show up looking like hell." Yami said as he turned to look at William, who only smiled in response.
" I already told you, I'm just under the weather." William repeated and Yami scoffed.
" Yeah and I'm the Easter Bunny." He responded back sarcastically, when Charlotte suddenly cleared her throat which caused the men to look at her.
" Is it serious? Your illness I mean." Charlotte asked as she crossed her arms, suddenly the Golden Dawn Captain sighed and walked towards the balcony railing.
" Well, I'm thinking about retiring from the Golden Dawn and taking a job here in the castle. If that tells you anything." William said softly as Charlotte and Yami's eyes widened. He was thinking of retiring? They looked at each other before looking at William again.
" Are you dying?" Yami asked as he took a cigarette out of his pack and put it in his mouth. William quickly shook his head.
" No, I'm not dying. This decision has nothing to do with me being sick. It's just…time. Time to step back and hand the reins off to the younger generation." William said with a soft smile before he turned to face his friends.
" Don't worry. I'll still be at the new Wizard King's first Captain's meeting tomorrow. That's where I'll announce my decision." William said before he walked past his friends. " Speaking of, I must give Asta my congratulations. Have fun you two." He added kindly as he went back into the ballroom.
Charlotte and Yami looked at each other with worry and concern in their eyes. They knew one day William would retire, but they didn't think it would be so suddenly like this.
But the couple weren't allowed to dwell on their worries for very long as they had to get back to their children and to the party itself.