Special Episode 5: The Origins of the Original Team No Name
Novem grins and starts pulling at Emile's hair again. "Emile's always wanted to date an older woman. Has he put the moves on you yet? Did you reject him? Please tell me you rejec-"
Emile blushes embarrassedly and grabs Novem's snout, shutting him up. "Just for the record, she already knows about that," he says. "and give me some credit here, we just met yesterday!" he says. "Akane would kill me if I started messing with her like that already. Trust me, I learned my lesson from last time." Emile says, trembling.
"What happened last time?" Mana asks.
Emile pales. "Er…"
Rina, who'd been passing by, stops and grins as she summarizes Emile and Akane's first meeting: "Em tried putting the moves on Akane the second he met her. Let's just say it did not end well for either of them." she laughs. Emile starts tracing the scar on his cheek with a fearful, faraway look on his face.
Mana decides not to pry.
"And none of us would have annoyed you into teaming up with us if we didn't like you as a person." Emile agrees. "Same goes for you, Mary."
I like them. I still have no idea how these two very different personalities - now three very different personalities - came to be on one team but I like them, even if they're a weird combination. Mary speaks up.
Mana stifles a laugh and relays her message. Veiss, Akane, and Emile share a look. Then, they nod in unison.
"That's a story for another time." Veiss says. "I know their story and it's…interesting, to say the least."
"Yeah, it's a bit of a long one." Akane nods.
Emile stifles a laugh, "That's what she s-"
"Do you want another scar on that pretty face of yours, Solflare?"
"...No."
Several years ago…
Zaflior, Phoenix Fire Guildhall, X787
Thirteen year old Akane Kumiko watches as thirteen year old Danate and Master Nadine walk in with a young blue-haired boy.
"Who's that?" she wonders out loud, dangling her arms over the second floor banister and resting her chin on it.
Eighteen year old Alistair Bickerstaff glances up from his book when he hears Akane's question. He grimaces, his chest panging when he sees how young the boy is. "...Excuse me." Alistair mutters, shutting his book and standing up.
Akane looks over at him with a frown and watches as he wordlessly descends the stairs before disappearing into the hall of the boy's dorms.
Then, fourteen year old Genesis Adrestia comes bounding down the third floor, dripping with sweat.
Akane wrinkles her nose, "Gross." she mutters, turning her gaze back to the boy with Nadine and Danate.
Genesis gasps dramatically, "Don't gross the next S-Class Mage of Phoenix Fire!"
"You haven't even taken the test yet." Akane deadpans, not bothering to look at him again.
Genesis flushes embarrassedly. "W-What? So? Don't you have confidence in me? I said I was going to be the first to beat the test with brains and I will!" he insists.
"Then why are you all sweaty and gross?"
"B-Because!" Genesis stutters. "Just because I'm going to use my brains doesn't mean the others will - it'll hurt more if I can't take their hits - oh who's that?" he asks when he comes to stand beside Akane and sees the boy.
Akane hums, "I dunno." she says. "They just walked in with him."
"...Huh." Genesis says, copying Akane's pose and watching the three. "He looks sad, don't you think?"
Akane doesn't say anything and tilts her head to the side, pressing her cheek against the banister as she watches the scene below.
That same day…
"Y-You're Akane, right?"
Akane jumps, nearly falling off the cliff she's sitting on. She whips around with panicked wide eyes and relaxes a little bit when she sees it's the boy Nadine and Danate brought to the guild. "And who are you?" she asks. "A new member?"
The boy shrugs, not quite meeting Akane's eyes. "I dunno. Maybe. The lady - um, Master Nadine said I have Magic now and she'll teach me how to use it if I want her to." he says. "Danate told me to come find you because, um, 'you need more friends'."
Akane grits her teeth and shuts the book she was writing in. She forces a smile, "Danate said that, did he? I'll have to make sure to thank him."
The boy nods, still not meeting Akane's eyes.
Akane sighs, putting her book down on her lap and rubbing her temples. "...What's your name?" she asks.
"Emile."
"Just Emile?"
Emile nods, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't have a family to share a second name with. I've been thinking about coming up with my own." he says and finally meets Akane's eyes.
…
…
…
"Stop looking at me like that."
Emile blushes furiously as he stares at Akane in wonder. "You're pretty."
"And you're seven years old."
"I-I'm eleven!"
"Don't care, didn't ask."
Emile scrambles to sit down next to Akane and grabs her hands, startling her. "Can we get married?" he asks with starry eyes and red cheeks.
Akane blushes, embarrassed and confused. "Wh-What? No! I just met you!" she snaps, trying to snatch her hands back from him.
"B-But - AIII!" Emile stutters and screams when Akane yanks just a tiny bit too forcefully, pulling her hands back and Emile.
…Emile falls off the cliff.
And so does an unsteady Akane.
"I hate you."
Emile pouts.
The two sit in silence while adult Phoenix Fire Mages bandage them up and scold them for being so clumsy. Akane only has several minor cuts and bruises from the branches they fell through on their way down. Emile's state is mostly the same as Akane's except for a nasty cut on his cheek.
"...So is that a no to marriage?" Emile asks.
"I'm going to remain single forever out of spite."
Several years later…
Zaflior, Phoenix Fire Guildhall, X792
"Please?"
"No."
"But wwwwwhhhhhyyy?" Emile whines.
"Because, as you were telling the new girl, I'm a 'lone wolf', aren't I?" Akane sneers.
Emile crosses his arms, "It was a joke." he pouts. "And her name is Rina."
Novem wiggles his head out from the front of Emile's kimono. "Yeah," he says. "Her name is Ri~na," Novem drawls.
Emile blushes furiously and shoves Novem's head back under his kimono. Akane rolls her eyes.
"If you keep following me on my solo missions, I'm going to reunite you with your dead caretaker."
Emile whines childishly, "But, but, but - think about all the benefits a partnership has! I watch your back, you watch mine, and we get hurt less!" he says, waving his arms around.
Akane isn't impressed. "Why are you bothering me with this?" she asks. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I'm not the only one who goes solo." Akane says, looking around. She points at a seventeen year old Veiss, "What about the zombie over there? Why don't you bother him? He's always covered in bandages - clearly he needs more help than I do." Akane says snidely.
Veiss, very clearly within hearing distance from the pair, groans and flips her off. "How many times do I have to tell you I need them, Kumiko?" he asks. When Akane opens her mouth to speak, Veiss keeps going when he sees the jeering look on her face: "And they're not a fashion statement either!" he snaps and stomps off.
"Testy…" Akane mumbles. "Didn't even say anything…" she says and shakes her head, turning her gaze back to Emile. "Answer my question. Why me and not someone else?"
Emile scratches his cheek. "Because…first…here…" he mumbles.
"What?"
"You…here…"
Akane starts tapping her foot impatiently. "Speak up, I can't hear you." she says.
A flush of pink starts crawling up Emile's neck. "You were…first…here…" Emile says a bit louder.
Akane sighs, "Em, I can't-"
"Y-You were my first friend here!"
…
…
…
"We fell off a cliff because of you."
"You know that's not what I mean."
Akane huffs, crossing her arms and looking anywhere but Emile. They stand in silence for a moment, and then: "...Meet me at the train station in an hour or I'm leaving without you."
Emile's eyes widen. He beams, "R-Really!?"
Akane grits her teeth, "This is just a test run." she snaps. "If you can keep me from getting hurt on this mission and prove that we can use each other, I guess…we can be partners." Akane says begrudgingly.
"YES!" Emile cheers and smiles bright and starry eyed at Akane, "I won't let you down, I promise!"
Today…
Zaflior, Phoenix Fire Guildhall - Akane's Room, X793
"...And he hasn't let me down. I'm just…you know." Akane says. "And as we all know, Veiss is here to make sure we don't accidentally kill you."
Mana stares at Akane in wonder.
Akane narrows her eyes, "What?"
"You used to write in a journal, too?" Mana asks.
Akane freezes.
"Is that why you gave me-?"
Akane stands up and grabs Mana by the back of her shirt, dragging her to the door to her room. "It's time for you to go."
PF x AH x SS
A/N this is the last special (until this arc is over at least) i swear pls
promises were made netflix and i was obligated to publish this :catch: