Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 2, Chapter 5
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Even though Cattleya's cure seemed genuine to her family, they still had to be absolutely certain. For something this miraculous, nothing less than a thorough and complete examination would quell the Vallières' fears. Unfortunately, due to the pressing issue of their wayward daughter, and Cattleya's stubborn refusal to be taken to the capital for said examination, they had to make do with the medical staff the Academy had on hand. Headmaster Osmond insisted they were among the best of the best, and Karin had no reason to disagree with that assertion, but she felt even after this they would stop by the capital for a second opinion from the royal family's healers. Especially since Princess Henrietta immediately offered their services once the question was raised without even needing to be asked directly.
The entire Vallière family, Princess Henrietta, Professor Colbert and Headmaster Osmond all watched with bated breath as the water mages inspected every square inch of Cattleya's body. Nothing was being overlooked as tendrils of crystal clear water sapped into her skin at several points. The tendrils themselves weren't injecting anything into Cattleya, rather they were serving as magical instruments to measure her bodily functions. Heartrate, breathing, body temperature, and more. As she was unable to use anything other than wind magic, Karin never properly understood the exact theory behind how healing magic worked, other than the basics and the end result. Over the years of watching the best healers in the country fail to cure her daughter, Karin had unfortunately come to know intimately what the bad signs were as well.
To her and everyone else's amazement, however, all of the signs were pointing to Cattleya being completely healthy. She was able to move about vigorously in a variety of exercises, such as push-ups and jumping jacks. Cattleya even ran a small lap around the courtyard, carefully monitored by everyone present, and while she did have to stop to catch her breath it was only because she didn't have much endurance in the first place. Which made sense, given how until an hour ago Cattleya couldn't do so much as lightly exercise more than a few minutes before nearly collapsing from the pain. Her breathing was normal, she was able to respond to all of the stimuli the mages threw at her, and most importantly of all to most of those outside of her family, could cast her magic without difficulty. The spells were all Dot-class water magic, something almost anyone with magical ability could do with barely any training, but before now she could only cast a few times before exhausting herself. Even then, those spells would be shaky and irregular at best. Now, however, her spells were coming out the way they should be.
By the end of the hour-long examination, the answer became clear to everyone present. Mew had, indeed, cured Cattleya of the mysterious disease that had plagued her since she was a child. As easily as though the floating cat had snapped her metaphorical fingers. In doing so, knowingly or not, Mew had incurred a debt from the Vallière family, one that they knew they would never be able to repay. For such a service, Karin and her husband would've gladly given up her family's lands, yet Mew did it purely because she wanted to be nice. That and enjoy more of Cattleya's belly rubs, which Mew was particularly enjoying at that very moment. Even during the examination, Mew hardly left Cattleya's side, curiously looking and poking at everything the water mages were doing and thoroughly annoying them. At least until Cattleya politely asked her to stop, at which point Mew did and happily retreated to wrapping herself around Cattleya's shoulders.
All in all, Karin still didn't quite know how to feel about Mew. On the one hand, the deed she did could not be ignored in the slightest. On the other, every moment spent around the psychic cat was like standing next to a rock wall being grinded down by nails. It felt as though years were being sapped away every moment, especially as Mew purred contently while curled on Cattleya's lap, the middle Vallière child continuing to pet her affectionately. She was joined by the Princess, who was openly smiling at the creature with wonder in her eyes.
"Oh, you're so sweet," Cattleya said through a smile as she continued to pet the powerful creature, then gave a pointed stare to her parents as she added, "and nice, and not judgmental."
At any other time, Karin might've scolded her daughter for her lip, but at the moment she didn't have much of a leg to stand on. So she and her husband put up with it, waiting for Professor Colbert to finish organizing everything he needed to present the results of his findings. All of them were seated in the Headmaster's office, the room encased in a sound-dampening spell to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
"Princess, I must ask," Duke Pierre de le Vallière spoke up, prompting the Princess to cease her petting of Mew with a sudden jolt to look at him. "Why didn't you nor anyone else attempt to wake us after Mew put us to sleep?"
"Oh, um," Henrietta began, composing herself and flattening the creases of her purple and white dress, "we…actually tried when we found you. But the slumber Mew put you under was too deep to pull you out of. We had to wait until you woke up on your own."
The Vallières looked at Henrietta for a moment, then nodded in understanding. Karin felt that Henrietta could've done more, but given Mew's power it was more likely that there truly was nothing Tristain's next monarch could've done. Rather, their current monarch in all but name, much to Karin and her husband's consternation. While they were grateful for the assistance she was granting them in their time of need, it still didn't quell the wider issue that, in their eyes, Henrietta was far too emotional and naïve to properly lead the country. Perhaps in time she might learn, but that was time they might not have with the threats emerging against Tristain on the horizon. The Vallières were still Princess Henrietta's biggest supporters, but that was more out of loyalty to the Crown rather than Henrietta herself.
But now wasn't the time to focus on that, and with a polite cough Karin said, "We understand. If I may, I noticed that you and Mew seemed to have a friendly disposition with each other. What exactly did she do while we were asleep?"
"Oh, we played games with her," Henrietta answered, her smile returning. "They were quite entertaining, and kept her from further damaging the academy grounds."
Karin wanted to ask more as to what those games involved but, before she could ask, Colbert entered the room. He was carrying a large bundle of books and scrolls in a bag hung over his shoulder, dragging a chalk board behind him. The board was covered from top to bottom in words and drawings. Most of the words were in Gallian, but others were ancient runes that had small translations written next to them.
"Apologies for the delay, but I now have everything we need," Colbert said. Clearing his throat, he handed the books and scrolls to pass between them, while he maneuvered the chalkboard to his back. Grabbing one of the scrolls for herself, Karin saw that it was a detailed, step-by-step list of instructions for a complicated ritual. The most complicated she had ever seen, raising both her curiosity and worry.
Colbert pointed to the board with his staff, then he said, "For the past few days, I have been extensively researching everything I can regarding what happened to Louise. What I've found says that this incident is unprecedent across the academy's extensive history, and I'd wager that it may be the first of its kind on record in the entire continent."
"You mean her reverse-summon?" Éléonore asked, and Colbert nodded as he pointed to one of the runes he had drawn.
"Correct. According to the Founder," Colbert explained, "the summoning magic works like a tether, one end serving as an anchor to pull another object to itself. Normally, this results in the mage bringing the familiar to them. But, for reasons I still don't entirely understand, the pull was reversed, thereby bringing Louise to whatever her summoning target was."
"We already know this," Pierre grumpily pointed out. "How does this help us get our daughter back?"
"In order to pull Louise back, we needed to understand the theory about what happened to her in the first place," Colbert answered. "By doing so, we now have a place to start."
"That makes sense. Otherwise we'd be going in blind, and we'd never find Louise," Éléonore responded. Given how she herself was a researcher, one who focused on ancient artifacts and ruins from the Founder's time in the hopes of replicating them, it didn't surprise Karin that she caught onto Colbert's reasoning first.
"Exactly," Colbert said. "Now that we know what happened to Louise, we can then use that information to determine our next course of action."
"And that is?" Headmaster Osmond asked, idly stroking his long white beard in anticipation.
In response, Colbert pointed to the extensive writing on the board, and he explained, "In his research, the Founder managed to discover that any summoned target maintains a connection, however faint, to their place of origin. Normally, this connection isn't strong enough to do anything with, and indeed it will disappear entirely after a period of time. But it can be strengthened by things that further connect the target to its home. Family, friends, lovers, even the location itself."
"I think I understand," Karin replied, pursing her lips as she leaned forward to get a better look at the chalk board. Beside her, her husband began reading through the offered books and scrolls, and she said, "If all of us, Louise's family and teachers, perform this ritual at the summoning site, we can pull her back through the existing connection as though it were a lifeline."
"Yes, at least that's what my research has said," Colbert confirmed with a firm nod. "Unfortunately, Brimir never cast it himself in his lifetime. From his apprentice's writings, it seemed that he made it to recover a friend that he lost, but by the time he created the theory any connection with his friend had long since faded. He perished in the First Crusade before he could successfully perform the ritual."
"That sounds more like a resurrection than recovery," Henrietta pointed out, but Colbert shook his head.
"No, his writings made it clear that his friend was taken, not killed. Didn't specify why, only that the Founder felt it was his fault and that, through the spell, he could make things right," Colbert clarified. "In any case, the ritual he crafted is extremely complex. More intricate than anything I have ever seen before. It requires precise timing with perfect execution from all of the parties involved. If a single mistake is made, at best the entire spell fails and nothing will happen. Or, at worst, it could backfire on us."
"It could or will? That's a big distinction, Jean," Osmond stated, narrowing his eyes, and Colbert locked gazes with him without hesitation.
"I know it is, and truth be told I don't have an answer. Again, this ritual has never been performed before, so we don't know what will happen if it works or if it fails. For all we know, it might simply take us to Louise. Unlikely, but the possibility is there," Colbert said, his face firm. "In any other circumstance, I would deem the risk too great, but unfortunately circumstances has forced our hand. If we don't do this, I don't see any way to get Louise back home. Other than blindly hope she somehow finds a way back herself."
"I'm not willing to put faith into blind hope," Karin declared with a frown on her face. "We'll proceed with the ritual. I imagine that we'll have to practice extensively before actually performing it?"
"Most likely, if we want to ensure everything goes smoothly," Colbert confirmed. "But, even then, I don't think just us alone can make the connection strong enough to pull Louise through."
"We're her family. While I won't deny that our relationship with our youngest daughter has been strained, there's no one else more closely bonded to her than us," Pierre angrily retorted, but Colbert raised his hands placatingly.
"And that will be the strongest anchor we have, but I'm not willing to risk banking on that alone," Colbert responded. "To give us the best chance of success, we need to make the connection to Louise as strong as possible."
"How do you suggest we do that?" Henrietta requested in uncharacteristic seriousness. Colbert looked at the Princess and nodded, then looked at Mew.
"First, while it's not needed, having something that will connect to wherever Louise was taken would be helpful," Colbert explained. Everyone turned to look at Mew, who quickly noticed their gazes. She looked at them all curiously, then smiled and waved.
'Hi!' Mew said cheerfully, then looked up at Cattleya. 'Why's everyone looking at me?'
"Professor Colbert thinks you might be able to help bring Louise back," Cattleya answered.
'Oh,' Mew replied, then shook her head and said, 'I can't do that. Sorry.'
"I know, and it's okay," Cattleya told the creature, then rubbed Mew's head and asked Colbert, "Just anything will do, right?"
"That's what it seems, yes," Colbert confirmed and Cattleya nodded before looking down at Mew.
With a gentle smile, she asked, "Mew, may we borrow a hair? It's really important."
Mew looked at Cattleya as she pondered the request, then asked, 'If I do…can I get a treat?'
"Yes," Cattleya replied, and before anyone could react, Mew psychically pulled a single hair follicle and handed it over to a surprised Colbert. Mew had a smile on her face, and Cattleya squealed and increased her petting over how helpful Mew was being. Karin, meanwhile, felt more years of her life drain away, especially with how her daughter seemed to be treating the creature that made her most powerful magic seem like a child's plaything as though Mew was a small defenseless kitten.
Once again, Karin took a deep breath, then turned back to Colbert and said, "Anything else?"
Regaining his composure, and putting the hair into a small glass tube with a cork stopper at the end, Colbert revealed, "We're also going to need everyone who was present when Louise disappeared."
"You mean her classmates? The ones who tormented her for over a year? They have to help us?" Éléonore incredulously asked, her eyes widening. When Colbert nodded, Éléonore frowned then asked, "Is there any other way?"
"If there is, I couldn't find it. More than that, connections are not inherently positive things. For the sake of this ritual, they only need to be strong," Colbert confirmed and shook his head. The Vallières, even Cattleya, groaned in frustration. But, with no other alternatives, they had to accept it.
Clearing his throat, Duke Pierre de la Vallière then asked, "How are you going to get them to cooperate? It's no secret what many of them thought of my youngest daughter."
"Don't worry," Colbert placated the man with a conspiratorial smirk. "I've already come up with a way to ensure everyone's cooperation."
Kirche had only just regained feeling of her fingers when Professor Colbert summoned the entire class. No one knew exactly why, but the rumor mill supposed that it had something to do with Louise. Lately, everything in the Academy seemed to be connected to her disappearance in some way, so Kirche believed the rumors immediately. Part of her wondered if it had anything to do with the ancient tome she and Tabitha managed to find. Perhaps it held some kind of clue that would tell them what happened, and maybe even a way to get Louise back. Kirche hoped that would be the case, if only so that she could hold it over Louise's head that it was a Zerbst who proved instrumental in rescuing a Vallière. That and, obviously, making sure Louise was safe.
"Are you sure you're feeling fine?" Tabitha asked as they walked down the hall towards Professor Colbert's classroom. Kirche smiled and waved her off, but Tabitha remained unconvinced.
"Tabitha, seriously. I'm okay," Kirche insisted, then nonchalantly shrugged. "A little bit of paralysis never hurt anyone."
"The fact that you were paralyzed at all is concerning," Tabitha promptly pointed out. Kirche merely shrugged again, refusing to give an actual answer.
Truth be told, being paralyzed by Mew's tongue, of all things, was disturbing. For hours, she felt as though her entire body was numb, hardly able to move but able to sense everything going on around her. Kirche felt like a powerless prisoner in her own body. The experience was something she never wanted to have again. Luckily, the worst of it only lasted a few hours, and by the next morning she was able to move around freely. Except, of course, for a lack of feeling in her fingers and toes, but by now even that had gone away. Whatever Mew did, it obviously wasn't meant to be permanent, not that it made Kirche feel any better about the situation.
But she couldn't let anyone else know just how frazzled she actually was, not even her best friend. After all, Kirche von Zerbst had an image to uphold.
"Hey, at least we found all the stuff Mew stole," Kirche said, eager to change the subject. Tabitha silently looked at Kirche with a raised eyebrow, then looked away in silent acceptance.
The pair continued walking through the halls, with other students walking alongside them. Faint murmuring could he heard, muffled against all the chatter going on. Kirche could only hear those closest to her, but she didn't need to know exactly what everyone was saying to know what they were talking about. Like her, they too were wondering what Professor Colbert wanted them for, and whether it actually had anything to do with Louise.
"I don't get it. If it's actually about Louise, what does Professor Colbert expect us to do about it?" Montmorency asked her fiancé as they walked next to Kirche and Tabitha. While both were listening in, neither decided to interject into the private conversation, preferring to eavesdrop.
"I don't know, Mon-Mon," Guiche replied, uncharacteristically serious and demurred. Something that Kirche couldn't help but notice was becoming a bit of a trend following Guiche's utter humiliation at Mew's hands. It seemed as though getting trounced had been quite the blow to his ego. He'd bounce back, eventually, but Kirche had to admit that a humbled Guiche was a nice change of pace.
"I mean, it has to be. What else could it be?" Montmorency continued, Guiche nodding along. "There's no way he'd be restarting class, not before the rest of the school."
"Maybe he's trying to get us all to collaborate on a story that makes him look better?" Another student suggested in an entirely different yet similar conversation.
"No, I don't think so. He'd have done that before her parents showed up, and especially the Princess," someone else replied, and the first student shivered.
"Ugh, speaking of parents, I caught the Zero's mother glaring at me the other day. Felt like she could've ripped my soul out of my body if she wanted to."
"I heard rumors that Duchess de la Vallière is actually the Heavy Wind."
"Nah, there's no way. Louise would've boasted about that already. Besides, I think the Heavy Wind would've beaten Mew, or at least done something to her."
"Yeah, good point."
Without saying a word, Kirche rolled her eyes and scoffed. She knew that Duchess Karin de la Vallière was, indeed, Karin 'the Heavy Wind.' The most feared and powerful mage Tristain had ever produced. Kirche didn't blame them for not knowing, though. The Duchess was notoriously quiet about her life, keeping the vast majority of it private and away from public knowledge. The only reason why Kirche knew was because the Zerbst and Vallière families had been locked in an intense feud for generations. It was a matter of family business to keep an eye on how their rival family was doing.
The mention of Karin's humiliating duel against Mew, however, did raise another specter. One that left Kirche troubled. They already knew Mew was powerful, as the current state of the academy was testament enough of that fact. But then Mew had to solidify her standing by utterly trouncing Karin and her husband's strongest magical attacks, treating them as though they were nothing. That, more than anything, convinced Kirche of the truth. Despite not looking like it, Mew was the single most powerful being she had ever seen or heard of. Probably even more powerful than an elf. Normally, she'd be horrified that such a creature was in their midst, but after a few days the most she could muster was resigned annoyance. It certainly helped that Mew was more like a playful child than a rampaging monster. Now that would've been terrifying.
"Frankly, I don't see the point in trying to get Louise back," another student whispered, causing Kirche to frown and glance in their direction. "I mean, seriously. Why bother? Sure, she's pretty, but she has a horrible personality and is a failure at magic. If I were her parents, I'd be happy that Zero is out of my hair."
"I know what you mean. I say take this as an opportunity and be done with it," his friend replied, making him laugh and causing Kirche's scowl to deepen.
From the corner of her eye, she even saw Tabitha looking at them crossly. Kirche had half a mind to confront them about it, but decided to instead shoot a small wick of flame into their butts. Not enough to hurt them, but enough to scorch their pants a little and make them jump in surprise. They looked around, trying to spot who did it, but Kirche played coy and so they never suspected her. Tabitha had immediately recognized what she did, but didn't say anything.
Soon, the group of students made it to Colbert's classroom, where they saw that the man in question was standing in front of his desk. Beside him was Headmaster Osmond, Princess Henrietta, and the entire Vallière family. If looks could kill, practically half of the class would be dead by now from the glares the offended family was giving all of them. Even the students arguing against rescuing Louise found themselves unable to speak, withering under their intimidating glares. Surprisingly, it wasn't the Duke or Duchess de la Vallière that Kirche was most intimidated by. Instead, that honor went to her middle child, a beautiful young woman who was seated in a chair, Mew curled up in her lap as she idly petted her from head to tail. While the glare she was giving wasn't all that impressive on its own, looking more like a puppy than anything remotely intimidating, the fact that she had apparently tamed Mew, of all things, gave everyone more than enough reason to be worried about invoking her wrath.
Colbert was silent for a moment, then looked around and did a silent headcount. Once he was certain everyone was here, he nodded then magically closed the doors with a simple wave of his staff. As soon as the entrances sealed, sound-dampening magic enveloped the room, and the windows themselves were darkened.
"Good, everyone is here. Now we can get started," Colbert began, forming a light that illuminated the chalkboard behind him. At the same time, scrolls were passed around to the various students by a maid. The same maid who was caught playing a game with Mew earlier, whose name escaped Kirche at the moment. When the maid handed Kirche her scroll, the Germanian immediately unfurled it, and balked at the complex ritual laid out before her.
As murmuring increased around the room, Colbert spoke up again and said, "As you can see, each of the scrolls in your hands details a ritual. This ritual is to complete a spell theorized by the Founder himself, one that he was never able to cast in his lifetime: a reverse-summon."
"Reverse-summon?" Malicorne muttered, but he might as well have been shouting for how Colbert's attention immediately shot to the overweight boy.
"Correct, Malicorne," Colbert confirmed with a crisp nod. He then pointed to Kirche and Tabitha, and remarked, "Thanks to the efforts of Kirche and Tabitha, I was able to discover the truth of what happened to Louise. When she cast the familiar summoning spell, she instead somehow managed to send herself to her familiar in a reverse-summon. Something that has, to put it lightly, never been done before."
The murmuring increased, now joined by idle glances between all the students. While Kirche was glad that what she found had been able to help, the truth of what happened to Louise was still disconcerting to say the least. At the same time, the fact that Louise somehow managed to fail the familiar summoning ritual so badly as to send herself to her familiar wasn't all that surprising. Only she could fail and create something entirely new at the exact same time. It was almost impressive.
"This ritual was created by the Founder to reverse the effects of a reverse-summon, thereby bringing Louise back to the Academy," Colbert explained. "In order to do this, the connections between here and Louise have to be strengthened as much as they possibly can. Which is where you all come in. I know that your relationships with her has not been the greatest over the past year, to put it lightly."
A pang of guilt shot through Kirche's heart, but she remained composed as Colbert continued to speak, "But it cannot be denied that the connection between you and Louise is strong. With that in mind, I am announcing that every single one of us will be participating in this ritual as a class assignment."
The murmuring around the room increased, but Colbert ignored them all and added, "As I'm certain you've already noticed, the ritual is complex and intricate, requiring precise timing from everyone involved without any room for error. This will take time and effort from every single one of us, but we will get it done regardless."
Everyone was silent, and Kirche glanced between her teacher and the scroll laid out on her desk. She had never seen the man this serious before, and the way he was staring blankly at all of them was almost as though he was daring someone to speak up. Kirche had no intention of doing so, and merely looked around to see everyone else's reactions. They were mixed, to say the least, but no one was saying anything so far.
Then a boy's incredulous voice spoke up, and Kirche recognized him as the same one who was advocating for them to just abandon Louise entirely. He said, "Wait, hold on a minute. We're just second-year students. Something like this isn't something we can do, so why should we be the ones to do it?"
Kirche could only stare incredulously at the stupidest boy she had ever laid eyes on. As did many other students in the classroom, including Tabitha, Guiche, and Montmorency among others. Some, such as Malicorne and the vast majority of the student body, looked mildly surprised that he would actually say it. A handful, however, were subtly nodding along in silent agreement, and their eyes glanced towards Professor Colbert to see what he would say.
Seeing that made Kirche's blood boil. It didn't matter if Louise wasn't particularly that popular in class, nor if any of them could even begin to call her a friend. Least of all herself. But that doesn't mean you get to abandon her and leave Louise to suffer whatever fate she had succumbed to. That was just cruel and selfish, and while Kirche was more than happy to tease Louise, the last thing she wanted was for Louise to actually get hurt. You also don't say it in front of her family, who are the most powerful in the kingdom outside of the royal family themselves. It seemed that the dumbass recognized his mistake immediately as he withered and shrunk in on himself under their intense, murderous glares. Colbert, meanwhile, looked at his student with the most disappointed yet somehow resigned expression Kirche had ever seen. Almost as though he hoped no one would speak up, but knew someone would regardless.
Without missing a beat, he looked at the boy then replied, "Because the alternative, Jacques, is immediate expulsion from the Tristain Academy of Magic."
Jacques' eyes widened and his jaw slackened, as did everyone else in the class, and Colbert continued with a faux smile on his face and without an ounce of humor in his voice, "After all, if a person isn't willing to reach out and help when one of their own is in need, then that person clearly can't be trusted to wield magic responsibly. But I'm certain that everyone here is willing to give this their all. Aren't. You?"
That last question, Kirche knew, was directed at everyone present. No one dared looked away from the man and the people assembled around him. Everyone knew that Professor Colbert was telling the truth. After all, if he said it in plain view of the Headmaster, that meant not only did he already raise the possibility but the punishment had also been cleared. The room was so silent, one could hear a pin drop, and while Kirche had every intention of helping to recover Louise from the beginning, her heart still thundered in her chest.
"Any questions?" Colbert asked. He gave them only a moment to respond and, when no one did, he said, "Good. Everyone, grab your scrolls then follow me outside to Vestri Courtyard. We will be spending the rest of the day practicing the ritual. Food and refreshments will be brought to us, and there will be no breaks. The sooner you can perfect your assigned tasks, the sooner you get to go to bed. Now then, let's get started."
Henrietta had never been more exhausted in her entire life. For the past several hours, she had been doing nothing other than practice performing the ritual. Every movement scrutinized, every word spoken closely listened to for the slightest mispronunciation. Whenever she made a mistake, which happened quite often, Henrietta would have to start over from the beginning. She and everyone else. Just as Professor Colbert claimed, everyone in the entire class had a part to fill, all having to be performed in concert with everyone else. While at first everyone practiced their part on their own or in small groups, eventually the practicing proceeded to include everyone. Individual mistakes became group mistakes, and every single time one happened, the entire process would start over once again.
It was nighttime now, with both moons shining brightly overhead. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, allowing the stars to be seen as they stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. It was beautiful, but Henrietta didn't have time to focus on it. Instead, she continued to drill, feeling her arms ache as she moved her wand around in precise motions. Unlike the other students and teachers, who mostly made do with small wooden wands or staves, Henrietta's wand was made of out smooth silver. On the top was a shimmering sapphire, surrounded by a thin frame with two arms coming from the bottom and going off to the sides before converging again at the top. It was a wand that had been passed down the royal family for generations, and had belonged to her mother before it had been bequeathed to her. The wand was precious to Henrietta, but now more than ever it felt heavy in her hands. Not just because of her general exhaustion, but because of what it represented. Her wand was that which belonged to a queen, something that Henrietta knew she wasn't ready for but had to take on the burden regardless.
Her thoughts were broken when Mew floated along, using Heal Pulse to relieve Henrietta of her tiredness. The lonely Princess smiled at the Pokémon, who smiled back and twirled in midair before moving on to help the others. Mew had been surprisingly helpful during the intense, hours-long practice session. She had used her powers to lift as much of a burden off of the teachers and students as possible, whether it be using Heal Pulse to sooth their muscles or turning into an aquatic Pokémon, such as a species of turtle named Squirtle according to Siesta's Pokédex, to provide fresh, clean, rejuvenating water. She even kept everyone comfortably warm by turning herself into an absolutely magnificent canine Pokémon called an Arcanine to light a ring of blazing torches around them, providing far more heat than normal torches would have.
Once this was over, Henrietta hoped that she would be able to see more of these Pokémon. Ever since she had learned of their existence, she had been fascinated by them. Especially after Mew confirmed that what she was doing wasn't magic. She couldn't quite explain what it was that she was doing, but Mew was adamant that there was a difference between magic and the abilities of a Pokémon. If even half of the tales that Siesta's Pokédex were true, they were capable of amazing feats. Some of her colleagues didn't quite believe in them, but Mew's mere existence was more than enough proof. But that was for later. Right now, Henrietta could focus only on ensuring the ritual went off without a hitch.
Off to the side, she noticed that Agnès was keeping a careful watch over the area, and Siesta was organizing the latest round of refreshments. While only they was visible, undoubtedly there were others guarding them from the shadows, just out of sight. Otherwise, they were completely alone, with the rest of the academy retired to their rooms for the night. It wasn't out of an overabundance of caution. They simply couldn't afford any distractions.
"Alright, I think we have it down perfectly," Colbert revealed once they finished their current set. The students all sighed in relief, hanging their bodies forward before regaining their composure. They looked at Colbert, then he magically flipped all of the hourglasses laid out around the ritual sight and waved his hand around in a circle above his head.
"We all know what to do. Get in your positions," he ordered. Everyone complied, orienting themselves into a multi-layered, ringed circle.
The center of the circle was a bare batch of slightly deformed grass, the exact spot where Louise had disappeared. Each ring making up the circle was in order of connection to Louise. The first circle was made up of Henrietta herself and the entire Vallière family. As they were all related, distantly in Henrietta's case, to Louise, they had the strongest connection to her. Just outside of that ring were the students and teachers who connected the most with Louise. As her trusted teacher, Professor Colbert was in this group, alongside fellow students Kirche von Zerbst, Tabitha, Guiche de Gramont, Montmorency de Montmorency, and nearly a dozen other students that Henrietta didn't know the names of. Beyond them were people who might not have interacted directly with Louise but their presence was still undeniably felt by the young girl. Headmaster Osmond was in this group, looking uncharacteristically serious as he held his staff at the ready, along with the vast majority of the other teachers and students involved.
Henrietta stole one final glance at everyone, then locked eyes with Professor Colbert. He was silently counting down, the air becoming heavy as they all waited with bated breath for the signal to start. When he finally reached the end of his countdown, he moved his wand again, and the sand in the first hourglass began to fall. There was no need for prompting, as the movements had long been drilled deep into Henrietta's mind. She immediately dropped to her knees and, with the rest of the Vallières, began drawing a summoning circle in the grass. As they did, the students behind them began to chant the spell's incantation. The spell wasn't being spoken in Gallian, but rather Old Romalian. If he could, Colbert would've preferred to use the original language, but unfortunately it hadn't been spoken in thousands of years. There was no frame of reference, so they had to suffice with the closest surviving relative of the Founder's native tongue.
As soon as the summoning circle was completed, Henrietta and the Vallières stood back up and joined the chanting just as the second verse began. Unlike any other spell Henrietta had cast before, the language being used was less flowery and more mathematical. Like speaking the words to an equation rather than poetry. Truthfully, in any other circumstance Henrietta would've found it quite mind-numbingly dull, but after spending the past several hours reading it over, she recognized it for the utter brilliance it was.
When the second verse ended, another set of hourglasses began to spill their contents, and in unison the participants raised their wands towards the central point of the circle. As they spoke, their voices merged into one as they spoke each and every word at the exact same time. On a few instances, Henrietta was afraid that she might've stumbled, but she was able to recover before any mistake could be made. Around her, she saw that a few other students noticeably did the same, some even worse than Henrietta, but thanks to their practice they avoided making any errors.
The third verse ended, and as they moved onto the forth, Henrietta could begin to feel a shift in the air. It became heavy, saturated with magic that made her skin tingle. She had never felt this much magic in one place before. The all-encompassing feeling almost made it difficult to breathe, but Henrietta powered through. As she did, she couldn't help but glance over at Cattleya. Now more than ever, she was grateful for Mew's intervention. If she hadn't, there was no telling how Cattleya's body would've reacted to the magical strain.
The fifth and final verse began, and the tips of everyone's wands began to glow. A light breeze began to pick up, swirling around them and causing their hair to move back and forth with it. Soon the wind began to coalesce and swirl in the center of the ring, picking up in intensity as everyone continued to chant. Soon the light breeze became an intense, heavy wind, picking up blades of grass and clumps of dirt, carrying them high into the air. Despite the whirlwind, the mages continued to cast their spell, refusing to stop after coming this far.
Finally, as the spell began to end, they saw a faint green dot appear. It was floating above the summoning circle, light from everyone's wands flowing into it through glowing, translucent tendrils. With each passing moment, it grew larger and larger. She could even begin to feel something on the other side, gently getting pulled towards them. They were actually doing it, Henrietta realized with a wide smile on her face. All of them were in the home stretch now, and if it went as planned, soon Louise would be home, safe and sound.
Then, out of nowhere, the glowing green circle snapped out of existence. Like a candleflame being blown out, one moment it was there and the next it was gone. There was no trace of its existence, and had they not seen it with their own eyes they might not have even realized it was there at all. At the same time, the pulling sensation that Henrietta felt ceased, becoming nothing more than a vague memory.
The courtyard was silent, and everyone was looking at each other in confusion. No one said anything at first, for none knew what to say. A million questions were flowing through Henrietta's mind, and she didn't have the answer to any of them. Had they failed somehow at the last second? Had someone made a mistake? Surely they must have, yet at the same time Henrietta could've sworn that she felt something else appear. An overwhelming presence that broke the link the spell was making with Louise. A heavy, sinking feeling began to form in her chest, and Henrietta's arm began to slacken.
"Is…is that it?" Kirche von Zerbst faintly spoke up, but with how quiet everyone was, she might as well have been shouting. When no one answered, she muttered, "Wow, now I know how Louise feels."
Knocked out of his stupor, Colbert looked around and asked, "Did anyone make a mistake? Do something wrong?"
"Don't look at me, I did everything I was supposed to," a student answered.
"As I did I," another spoke up.
"All of us did what we were told perfectly," Guiche de Gramont revealed.
Soon, everyone present was speaking up, insisting that they hadn't made a mistake and that those around them hadn't done so, either. Normally, Henrietta would've felt that they were mistaken or even lying, as she had almost messed up a few times during the actual spell. If she had, surely they would've as well. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that they were all telling the truth, that something else had happened. Clearly Colbert came to believe his students and faculty members, and with a deep frown on his face he pulled out his scroll.
"Something's not right. It shouldn't have done this," Colbert muttered, running his finger along the dried ink.
"Professor," Karin de la Vallière dangerously whispered, not needing to say anything more to convey her anger and confusion. Her eyes were darting around curiously, as though she had also felt the same thing Henrietta did, then she dismissed that feeling with a shake of her head before glaring at the confused man.
"I don't know what happened, Duchess. We did everything we were supposed to," Colbert insisted, pointing at the scroll in his hands. Wanting to confirm for herself, Henrietta also pulled out her scroll, and the students and teachers followed her example to do the same.
"Did you mistranslate something?" Pierre accused, and Colbert shook his head fervently.
"No, I didn't," he insisted, then paused and glanced at the scroll before quietly admitting, "At least, I don't think I did."
"You did or you didn't?" Pierre growled, angrily tightening his fist.
As Colbert attempted to defend himself and prevent the courtyard from descending into a loud argument, Henrietta allowed herself to look at everyone. They were just as lost and confused as she was, not quite sure about what happened. From the murmurs she could hear, most felt that they had messed up somehow, with others echoing the Duke's assertions that Colbert had mistranslated the spell. But Henrietta's attention, however, was drawn to Tabitha. The look on her face was very curious, the grip on her staff tightened. Had she felt the same presence that Henrietta did?
It was then that someone spoke up and asked, "Hey, what's up with the hourglass?"
Henrietta's attention was drawn to the object in question. At first, she didn't see anything wrong with it, just the sand flowing from the top bubble to the bottom. But then she looked closer, and to her surprise she saw that the sand was flowing upwards. At first, she wondered if some magic was in play, a student performing an ill-advised prank.
Then, before Henrietta could even begin to feel angry, another student spoke up and called out, "Hold on, this one's messed up, too. The sand's just stopped."
More students and now teachers were beginning to look at the hourglass, and true enough the sand was frozen as though it was ice. Raising an eyebrow in suspicion, Henrietta began to look at the various hourglasses scattered around the ritual site. To her shock, each one was acting differently. Some were flowing normally from top to bottom, others were frozen in place or going in reverse. Then Henrietta noticed that the flames of the torches illuminating them, while still giving off light and heat, weren't moving. They were stuck in place, greatly unnerving everyone.
"Um, guys? Why is nothing moving out there?" Montmorency nervously pointed out, shakily pointing her finger to the outer edge of the summoning area.
True to her world, the areas of the courtyard not illuminated by the torchlights had gone completely silent and still. Much like the frozen flames of the torches. The blades of grass being gently moved by the night air had gone completely still in mid-motion. Just above them, to Henrietta's shock, she could see glowing insects floating in place, not moving in the slightest. Idly, she noticed that Agnès protectively placed herself in front of Henrietta, her hand slowly moving to her pistol, but Henrietta's attention was drawn to the silhouette of a guard overlooking them on a tower. A guard who wasn't moving.
In fact, outside of themselves, everything was still, frozen in place and as motionless as the castle itself. Almost as though time had come to a complete stop. Fear gripped Henrietta's heart, and nervous muttering broke out among the crowd. Something had gone very wrong, and for the life of her Henrietta had no idea what. Perhaps this was a consequence of a failed spell? Had they, in their efforts to save Louise, doomed themselves in the process?
"Alright, who's doing this?" Colbert called out, his eyes darting around the still landscape. "You've had your fun, but now's the time to stop."
No one answered, and the heavy atmosphere grew thicker. Henrietta then noticed that she could no longer feel the nighttime breeze, as though the air itself had gone still. Looking just outside the illuminated area, she then noticed that blades of grass, initially picked up by the spell itself, were hanging in midair without an ounce of idle sway.
Henrietta turned her attention back towards the others, the grip on her wand tightening. By now, everyone had realized that none of them were doing this, and they were looking at each other for answers and comfort none had to give. Henrietta's gaze then drifted down to the scroll in her pocket. A few students noticed this, and they too began to look at the scrolls depicting the spell they had just been attempting to cast.
Without saying a word, Henrietta pulled the scroll out and unfurled it again, as did the other students. Everyone else followed their lead, and soon everyone was looking at their scrolls deeply, trying to discern some missed detail that would explain their predicament. But all Henrietta saw as she scoured the parchment from top to bottom was just the intricate, step-by-step instructions they were all following. Nothing more, and nothing less.
"What is going on?" Cattleya quietly asked, prompting Henrietta to glance at the Vallière girl. She was holding Mew tightly, who had a curious expression on her face. Not the same type of curiosity the Pokémon had exhibited up until this point, which was filled with childlike wonder at seeing something brand new, but rather it looked different. Almost as though Mew recognized what was going on.
The Duke and Duchess also noticed what Henrietta was seeing, and they prepared to demand to know what was going on as they fell back into an authoritative state. Then, before a single word could be said, a heavy presence fell over everything. The lights around them dimmed considerably, making it nearly impossible for Henrietta to see more than a few feet in any direction. It became hard to breathe, and her hands shook as they tightly held the unfurled scroll. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and a chill crept up her spine as it felt as though someone was breathing down on her. Slowly, Henrietta realized that they were not alone, then her gaze shifted upward.
What she saw made her nearly drop the scroll in her hands. For the sky had suddenly changed, becoming pitch back and devoid of any sources of light. None of the moons nor the stars were visible, just a blank canvas of black ink overhanging all of them. While Henrietta could see that everyone was beginning to panic, the presence they all felt made it nearly impossible to do anything other than breathe and stare. Then, before their very eyes, the sky began to fill with points of light as the stars returned. But they weren't their stars, and the constellations they formed weren't the ones Henrietta had gazed up into since her youth. To her surprise, they looked like Pokémon, forming vast dragons with four limbs each and spikes for wings. There were more coming into existence every moment, and she recognized many of them from the images in Siesta's Pokédex. She saw an Arcanine, Tentacruel, Gyarados, Noctowl, the Legendary Birds Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. There were more and more that appeared, and each one made the fear holding Henrietta's heart tighten its grip.
It was then that Mew gasped, then happily called out, 'Hi, Dad!'
With wide eyes, Henrietta slowly creaked her head over to look at Mew, as did anyone else who could muster the strength. A surprised gasp then rolled across the students, and Henrietta shot her head over to see what was going on. She saw that they were looking into their scrolls, disbelief written across their faces. Henrietta did the same, and what she saw nearly made her drop the scroll entirely as the words Professor Colbert had painstakingly transcribed shifted before her very eyes.
The ink began to shift and writhe on the parchment, flowing like it was still wet and twisting itself into new shapes. The text and diagrams that made up her section of the ritual lost cohesion and broke apart, and new symbols from a language that she didn't recognize took their place. Every letter consisted of a circle with a dot in the center, framed by branching limbs or loops. But Henrietta focused on that shared, central feature. As the new text settled on the page, the Princess couldn't help but see them as hundreds of tiny eyes peering at her from the page.
And then the strangeness on the page become a secondary concern, as a silent word rolled over the assembled ritualists like thunder.
'Cease.'
Henrietta rocked back on her feet, feeling like a wave had just washed over her. A quick glance around verified that everyone else had felt it as well, and a few students had fallen over in shock. Voices were beginning to rise in a panic, and then someone in the crowd screamed "Look!" and pointed skywards.
The princess stared upwards, eyes wide and mouth falling open. One of the unfamiliar constellations, the largest and most intricate, looked like it was moving... and the longer she gazed at it, the more certain she became that it was looking back.
'You reach beyond your means, and tamper with works that are beyond you,' the silent voice continued. It almost felt like Mew's form of mental communication, but far more powerful. Rather than feel it in her head, Henrietta swore she could feel it in her bones. 'Do not waste your time, or my own, any further.'
Henrietta wasn't surprised when it was Duchess de la Valliere that managed to react first.
"You broke the spell!" she shouted accusingly, glaring up into the sky.
'I did.'
"WHY?!"
'Because it is my will.'
Gritting her teeth in rage and gripping her sword wand tight enough to make her fingers turn bone white, Karin stared into the stars that made up the constellation's eyes. She growled, "I am Duchess-"
'I know who you are,' the voice interrupted, sounding almost placid as it nearly shook the students off their feet. 'That you think your many titles and rank have any significance merely betrays your ignorance.'
The Duke put a calming hand on his wife's shoulder, and he tried a different tack. He asked, "Who are you?"
'Ask the teacher,' the voice answered. 'He seems to have worked it out.'
Every eye swiveled to Colbert, who was looking skyward in awe, and not a little fear. Henrietta could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed nervously.
"My Lady...," he nervously began, his voice shaking, "no mage could do this. No elf could do this. No spirit could do this. I... I think this being...is..."
'Say it,' the voice commanded. 'You know what I am.'
Colbert turned silent, then gulped again and declared, "...I think we're being addressed by...a god."
As deathly silence fell over the ritualists, the voice continued, 'I am the Original One, the Beginning and Ending, the Alpha and Omega. Father of Space, Time, and Spirit. Creator and Destroyer. But you mortals may address me as those from my world do, as Arceus.'
Silence swept the clearing for a long moment, before Karin forced herself to focus on the goal. She then accused, "If you countered our ritual...are you the reason that my youngest daughter disappeared in the first place?!"
'I inverted her third attempt to kidnap one of my children that I might seek answers from her, yes,'Arceus admitted without hesitation, and Henrietta's heart skipped a beat.
That accusation clearly threw the Duchess off balance, and confused whispers erupted among the students.
The constellation that called itself Arceus seemed to scan the crowd, and gave the impression of shaking its head in disgust. It then pointedly asked, 'Have none of you ever considered the implications of your Familiar Summoning spell? Have none of you ever stopped to think that you were tearing living beings away from their homes, their families? All to serve some mortal who had done nothing to earn the privilege, their loyalty ensured by the spell itself and nothing more?
'I protect my children. I have countered every attempt to steal them away through your little spell over the millennia, and when I felt a third attempt in as many minutes from the same source, I decided enough was enough.'
Everyone was silent as they stared up into the heavens, unable to speak but with millions of questions running through their minds. Colbert looked as though he wanted to refute Arceus' assessment of the Familiar Summoning spell, but was unable to find the strength to do so in such an overwhelming presence. To the Princess, it felt as though the god's mind was made up, and nothing Colbert could say would change his mind. Henrietta felt like she was going to faint, and only thanks to Agnès' firm, protective grip on her arm was she able to keep enough strength to remain standing. A few other students weren't so lucky, collapsing onto the ground as the strength in their legs failed them. Henrietta couldn't help but notice Siesta's reaction. While it was just as fearful as everyone else's, there was awe and wonder in her eyes as well. To the point of near reverence.
It was Cattleya who stepped forward now, meeting the gaze of the stars without fear. She said, "For what it's worth, I apologize on behalf of my sister, and everyone else who has tried to summon one of your children. But why won't you allow us to call her back? She meant no harm, and we're worried about her."
Arceus' gaze fell on the brave young woman, and she did not flinch. He stared at her for a moment, then answered, 'Because her self-appointed task is yet incomplete.'
That set off another round of confused murmurs. As her eyes widened, Henrietta muttered under her breath, "Task?"
To the god addressing them, Henrietta might as well have been shouting. The stars making up the constellation's top almost seemed to shift to one side, like Arceus was tilting his head at them. His soundless, bone-quaking voice began to sound almost amused.
'When I declared her unworthy to be the partner of one of my children, she demanded – demanded, of me! – the opportunity to prove herself worthy. I decided to indulge her. She seeks to gain my approval as we speak...and while she isn't there yet, she's making a decent go at it. Succeed or fail, she will return to you soon, wiser for her experience and with a stronger power over Oblivion than ever...and if she keeps up the good work, she might not be alone.'
With that, the connection to Arceus ceased. The world returned to normal as the breeze picked up again, the sand began to flow, and the flames flickered. Even the scrolls returned to their original states, just a detailed list and nothing more. No one said a word, and only faint sniffles could be heard as the more emotional students began to cry. The rest were completely still, staring off into nothing as they tried to comprehend what they just experienced. Words couldn't begin to describe it, and Henrietta suddenly found all strength in her legs disappearing. Her knees fell out from under her, and she collapsed onto her legs with her upper body remaining upright.
"Princess!" Agnès shouted as she crouched beside her, trying to help her princess however she could
The floodgates opened, and the now openly panicking students began to shout over each other.
"Was that actually a god?!"
"What did Arceus mean by 'his world?' Is Louise in another world?!"
"I felt like an ant…"
"If Arceus is Mew's dad, does that mean she's a god, too?!"
"What are we going to do?!"
The shouting soon become unintelligible, each trying to get a word in over each other. It didn't last long, however, as Colbert suddenly shouted, "SILENCE!"
The students stopped immediately, then looked upon their teacher nervously for answers. He looked over all of them, then ordered, "Return to your rooms now."
At first, no one moved as they stared into Colbert's hardened expression. Then, one by one, the students began to shuffle away, unable to put their time with Arceus behind them no matter how hard they tried. Soon, only Henrietta, Colbert, Osmond, Agnès, and the Vallières were left, with Mew having taken the opportunity to abscond somewhere else for the time being.
They all stared at each other, Henrietta remaining on the ground. Cattleya was crying, Éléonore attempting to sooth her but unable to. Karin and Pierre were seething, tears threatening to spill out of their eyes. Osmond was simply staring out into nothing, his hand frozen mid-beard stroke. But it was Colbert that Henrietta's attention was most drawn too. His face was blank, passive, yet his eyes held a swirling mix of emotions that betrayed his inner turmoil.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Colbert suddenly shouted, "GOD DAMMIT!"
Thrusting his staff into the air, a snake of fire shot forward and through the night sky. It didn't last for very long, but it was enough to let his attempts at holding himself together break apart. He began to openly sob, and like Henrietta he fell to his knees.
"It's my fault…" he said, his words muffled by his hands.
"Jean…" Osmond quietly began, "It's not—"
"Yes it is!" Colbert insisted with a shout, shooting up his head to glare at Osmond. He then looked down at the ground and slammed his fist into the dirt, saying, "I should've known. The signs were right there this entire time, and I missed it!"
Still crying openly, Henrietta turned to look at the professor as a tearful Éléonore asked, "What are you talking about?"
"…That spell was Louise's last chance," Colbert began to explain, unable to look up at any of them. "Every other spell of every elemental affinity ended with failure, and had she failed to summon a familiar, she would've been expelled. Everyone knew this, especially her, meaning she couldn't afford to fail. So when she got so close to her first true success, only for someone else to stop her and say she didn't deserve it… No wonder she challenged Arceus. In her shoes, I'd do the same."
Colbert paused to take a breath, then slowly pick himself back up. His fists clenched, he continued, "At first, I thought her inability cast magic was due to something outside of her control. Not unlike Lady Cattleya's illness. Something that prevented her from casting magic at all. But then this happened. Her disappearance, Founder Brimir's tome, now Arceus. It all makes sense now. Founder, I am such a fool…"
"What are you talking about, Jean? What's obvious now?" Headmaster Osmond asked, and a heavy feeling fell over everyone.
"The reason why all of Louise's spells failed wasn't because there was something wrong with her, or that she was casting the spell wrong, she was using the wrong element," Colbert declared, his head shooting up to stare into everyone's eyes. As their eyes widened, Colbert added, "You heard what Arceus said. He has been preventing mages from summoning his children for thousands of years, yet in all my years of teaching none of my students ever had trouble summoning a familiar before Louise. The same goes for the entire academy's history. Then he said that her mastery of Oblivion will be stronger than ever. He's not talking about her getting better at making explosions. Oblivion means nothing, and is nothing more than a void."
Slowly, everyone's eyes widened in realization, and their arms fell to their side as Colbert finished, "Duke, Duchess, I fear your daughter is a Void mage, just like all the other mages Arceus prevented from summoning a familiar, and I completely missed it. If I hadn't, if I had just realized it sooner instead of completely dismissing the possibility, we could've trained her accordingly. She could've…could've…"
He was unable to finish his sentence, and he began to cry again. Not just at his failure, but what it meant. The others stayed silent, with only Henrietta and Cattleya joining him in tears. They all knew why. Assuming Colbert was correct, and Henrietta had no reason to assume he wasn't, if and when Louise returned she would be in tremendous danger. People would want to control and exploit the first confirmed Void mage in six-thousand years, or even eliminate her entirely. Her life would never be the same.
Slowly, the tears stopped flowing, but Henrietta remained on the ground as the others began to leave. The Vallières were the first to go, escorting a despondent Cattleya back to her room as the parents retired to contemplate their next move. Osmond and Colbert were the next to leave, with only Henrietta and Agnès remaining behind. Her loyal bodyguard and friend stood over her, keeping a watchful eye for any would-be threats.
"Your Highness," Agnès began, "it's getting late. You should be resting."
Henrietta said nothing, continuing to stare blankly into the dirt. Agnès frowned, then said, "Your Highness, I—"
"Am I a bad friend, Agnès?" Henrietta suddenly asked, sending Agnès back slightly.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, and Henrietta slowly looked up at her with bloodshot eyes.
"Am I a bad friend?" Henrietta repeated, and Agnès silently stared at a despondent Henrietta for a moment before fervently shaking her head.
"No, of course not," Agnès refuted, but Henrietta merely stared at her blankly.
"Then why wasn't I here for her?" Henrietta asked. "I haven't talked to her or seen her in almost two years. Even when I did, I knew she was having troubles but did nothing to help her. Surely there was something I could've done. I'm the Princess, for the Gods' sake! There shouldn't be anything I can't do, yet now I can't even help my friend when she needs me!"
She slammed her fist hard into the dirt, enough to where pain shot up her arm. Crying again, Henrietta wailed, "I can't do anything. I can't help my friend, I can't rule my country. I can't even grieve my father. Everyone expects me to do all these things, but I can't. I'm just…useless…"
Without saying a word, Agnès crouched in front of Henrietta then gently placed her hands on Henrietta's shoulders. Neither of them spoke, then Henrietta wrapped herself around Agnès in a tight embrace. Despite knowing it was against proper protocol, Agnès returned the hug, knowing it was what Henrietta needed.
"I miss her…" Henrietta cried, and Agnès nodded while closing her eyes.
"I know, but it's going to be okay," Agnès said, but Henrietta knew it was a lie.
They remained like this for some time, then they both got up to their feet. Reluctantly, Henrietta let Agnès lead her away back to her room, where she could finally get some much needed sleep. Neither of them noticed Mew watching them from up high, obscured by shadow. Sadness filled her heart, and with a low whine she leaned herself against the outer wall of the academy as the two women went inside.
Rubbing her paws against her head, Mew tried to think. Her Dad was not pleased with her little adventure, and was giving her until the morning to clean up her mess and head home. Normally, she would've done so without question, but now she was conflicted. Mew wanted to help these nice people, but she didn't know how. She couldn't bring Louise home, as Dad had already told her not to and she couldn't just disobey him outright like that.
Turning herself into a Gengar, Mew became invisible and floated through the halls, watching as students and teachers tried and failed to go to sleep. Frowning to herself, Mew helped them out by using Hypnosis on them, making sure that they would have nice, pleasant dreams. When she got to the Princess, she found the young girl holding onto her bodyguard like a teddy bear, and Mew's heart broke as she used Hypnosis to put them into a sleep as well.
Once again, Mew struggled to find out what to do. Then, as she idly looked into Henrietta's dream, an idea began to take shape. Slowly, her eyes widened, and she began to happily bounce in place. The idea could work, she knew, not that her father would like it. But that hasn't really stopped her before, and she saw no reason to start now. Besides, she figured she could get him to agree.
With her plan now in motion, Mew flew off to both clean up after herself, and make the final preparations. A distinct feeling that there was something else she had to do also crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as unimportant.
The next morning, Henrietta woke up from a surprisingly peaceful slumber. She was having the most wonderful dream, but for the life of her she couldn't quite remember what it was. What she did recall, though, was an all-consuming feeling of helplessness that left her feeling like a small child. So the fact that she had a good night's sleep at all was a shock. Not as much as the fact that she found herself holding Agnès tightly like a stuffed animal while still wearing her dress.
With a small yelp, Henrietta removed herself from Agnès and backed away along the bed. Her bodyguard was still sleep, her face calmer than anytime Henrietta had ever seen her. It didn't last long, however, as soon Agnès stirred, scrunching up her face for a moment before slowly blinking her eyes open. She looked at Henrietta, who was blushing from embarrassment and trying to avert her gaze. At first, Agnès was confused, and smacked her lips a few times before letting out a yawn, sitting upright and stretching out her arm. Then she, too, remembered the events of the previous night, and her eyes widened as she looked at the still embarrassed Henrietta. Unlike the princess, Agnès was able to keep her composure, outside of a small blush, and she calmly removed herself from the bed and dusted herself off.
The two women looked at each other for a moment, neither saying a word. Agnès then said, "I'll have a bath drawn for you, Your Highness, and a fresh change of clothes."
"…Thank you, Agnès," Henrietta replied, and Agnès nodded before exiting the room more quickly than usual.
For a few moments, Henrietta stared silently at the door, then moved to look out the window. She could still see the remains of the ritual site, completely untouched as though it was cursed ground. The few guards and servants near the area were giving it a wide berth, more than a few nervous glances sent its way. Henrietta didn't blame them. Given the events of the night before, hardly any other conclusion could be made. Other than considering it a holy site, but given the circumstances, that hardly seemed appropriate.
It was still hard for Henrietta to fully wrap her head around what had happened. Everything had completely flipped on its head. The truth about Louise's disappearance, their conversation with a literal god, and the revelation as to Louise's magical affinity. Henrietta's mind spun with the ramifications of it all, both in the near and long term. So far, none of it was looking good, especially if the Church found out about Louise. At best, they might deem Louise a true successor to Brimir, then try to weaponize her for their own ends. While there were certain members of the clergy that Henrietta trusted with her life, chiefly Cardinal Mazarin who had faithfully served her family and Tristain as its Prime Minister for decades, to the point of declining the position of Pope to continue doing so, the same could not be said for the organization at large. They were the true power brokers in Halkegenia, and they'd gladly seize the chance to solidify it further. In their hands, Louise may end up nothing more than a weapon.
Assuming, of course, that they actually did believe that Louise was a Void mage. They were just as likely, if not more so, to simply declare her a heretic and burn her at the stake. They might do that even if they believed, as a 'rogue' Void mage was undoubtedly dangerous. Then, of course, there were other nobles in the kingdom who would try to do the same thing, just for more personal ends. After everything Henrietta had experienced in the past year, she couldn't put anything past either other nobles or the Church. And that wasn't even getting into their discussion with Arceus himself, but so long as no one here starting outright worshiping Arceus, she felt that the most they would do is simply say Arceus is a demon and nothing more, with the students and faculty merely its victims. Hopefully, at least.
Henrietta sighed and ruefully shook her head. The most regrettable thing about being forced into a position of power before she was ready was how much her eyes were opened, and sometimes she wished she could just go back to those bygone days of childish naivete. But those days were long behind her now. She and the others had to focus on the future. On that front, there was one thing she had already decided. While there was no conceivable way to hide Arceus' direct involvement, it seemed as though only herself and Agnès, the Vallières, Professor Colbert and Headmaster Osmond had any inkling that Louise was a Void mage. Henrietta preferred to keep it that way. For Louise's and the Vallière's safety, the knowledge of Tristain's Void Mage had to be the kingdom's most tightly kept secret. There could be no records of it, not admission to anyone not already in the know that didn't have the explicit trust of either party, and above all else, absolutely no telling the Church. Henrietta would take this to her grave if she had to.
A darker part of Henrietta's mind wondered if perhaps Louise could be the solution to Tristain's most pressing concern, or even her own problems in the court, but just as soon as the thought appeared she threw it out of her mind. The idea of using her friend like that sickened her, and she was disgusted that it even popped into her mind in the first place. Henrietta began to worry, and nervously brought her hand up to her mouth and bit down on her fingers softly. Had being Tristain's Queen, forced to deal with all those selfish, self-righteous nobles begun to corrupt her?
She gripped her shoulders and shivered for a moment, not liking the implications. Luckily, it wasn't long before she heard a knock at the door, breaking Henrietta out of her thoughts entirely. Beckoning them in, Henrietta watched as a cluster of handmaidens entered the room. One was carrying a change of clothes, the others holding pitchers of steaming water. Respectfully bowing towards the Princess, they poured the hot water into a tub. They helped Henrietta out of her dress, then she stepped into the water and sank down as far as she could.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Henrietta felt the stress in her body melt away as the water seeped into her skin. In a trance, she let the servants scrub her down and wipe away all the dirt and grime she had accumulated the night before. Whenever the water would start to cool off, it was replaced by more hot water getting poured in. With all the soap and ointments being used, the water was obscured by a thick layer of white bubbles which added a lavender scent to the air. The entire process took about an hour, at which point Henrietta then stepped out of the bath and let the servants help change her into a new dress. Like the old, it too was white in color with a purple cape to drape over her shoulders. The cape was pinned in place with a round sapphire-encrusted band in the center. Her three-pointed crown had similar stones emplaced, and with her wand in hand and the Water Ruby on her ring finger, she completed her look.
Politely thanking the servants, Henrietta bid them leave and once again moved to the window. In the past hour, students and teachers had begun to prowl the courtyards, but there was a different air about them this time. They looked nervous, fearful, and like the others before were staying clear of the ritual site. Not just the people she recognized who actually took part in the ritual, but others who weren't involved at all.
It was just as Henrietta suspected. News had travelled fast, and no one knew what to do. Neither did she, for that matter. But, unlike everyone else, she had to put on a veneer that she did. That was perhaps the worst part of being Princess. She couldn't speak her mind, not really. She always had to conform to people's expectations. They expected their leader to know what to do at all times, and admitting otherwise was seen as a sign of weakness.
Closing her eyes and releasing a sigh, Henrietta stepped out of the room where Agnès was waiting for her. She respectfully bowed towards the Princess, who nodded and smiled back before making their way down the halls. Just as Henrietta suspected, they heard muffled whispers among the students and faculty as they passed by, with words like 'god,' 'Arceus,' and 'Louise" being thrown out. Henrietta ignored them all, as they wouldn't tell her anything that she didn't already know. Making their way to the dining hall, Henrietta saw a despondent collection of students and teachers eating their food, none saying a word. The Vallières and Professor Colbert were seated at a table, with everyone present giving them a wide berth.
Zeroing in on them immediately, Henrietta took a seat opposite the Duke and Duchess. They regarded her and gave a respectful bow, but otherwise said nothing as they silently ate their food. Their faces appeared calm, but Henrietta recognized their inner turmoil immediately. Turmoil that only Cattleya, and to a lesser expect Colbert, were openly displaying. Mew was nowhere to be seen, and Henrietta got the suspicion that no one had seen her since the events of last night. If what she said was true, and Henrietta had no reason to believe otherwise, perhaps her father had demanded Mew return home to their world.
Their world, the thought of which make Henrietta chuckle slightly and shake her head in cold amusement as a servant brought her food and drink. She didn't pick up a utensil to begin eating, instead concentrating on the other revelation they learned. While there wasn't an outright confirmation, Henrietta had the unshakable feeling that when Arceus said 'his world,' he meant it literally. That Louise had been taken to another world in his domain, not theirs. Meaning that Louise wasn't on Terre at all.
Seeing Siesta off in the distance, dutifully serving some students, Henrietta wondered if perhaps Siesta's ancestral homeland of Kanto was in this other world as well. The evidence seemed to add up, given her family's knowledge of Pokémon and the likelihood that Pokémon were from Arceus' world. That didn't explain how she got there though, and now wasn't really the time to question her about it. There were other, more important matters to attend to, and with a firm nod she turned to face the others.
"No one can know," Henrietta declared in as authoritative a voice as possible. They caught onto her meaning immediately, and with thankful nods they silently agreed.
Together in silence, they ate their food. The hall, normally bustling with conversation and activity, was so silent that the only sounds they could hear were the faint clinking of silverware. Henrietta didn't mind the silence, but she couldn't ignore the stares she was receiving. At first, she tried just to eat her food in peace, but soon the stares became unbearable. The thought of simply leaving entered her mind, but Henrietta knew she couldn't. She was their Princess, soon to be their Queen, and they were simply looking at her for guidance. Guidance that she knew she couldn't truly give, but she had to give anyway.
Without saying a word, Henrietta got up off her seat and made her way to the front of the dining hall. If anyone wasn't looking at her before, now that was no longer the case as everyone's eyes shifted. With her hands folded in front of her waist, her wand intertwined between her fingers, Henrietta looked out at the dining hall, now completely silent as no one moved. She took a few deep breaths, feeling her heartbeat thundering in her chest, then she began to speak.
"I know all of you have already heard of the events of last night," Princess Henrietta de Tristain began in as soothing and calming of a voice she possibly could, but even then she couldn't quite remove the hint of nervousness in it. "About the truth of Louise de la Vallière's abduction by the hands of an angered god-like being. I won't deny it. Everything you heard is true."
Nervous murmuring picked up, and Henrietta briefly wondered if that was perhaps the wrong thing to say. But she wasn't done, and with a gulp that her biggest allies easily picked up on, she continued, "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we will move past this trial. Tristain is no stranger to struggles, to trials that seem insurmountable, and as always we will surpass this and become stronger on the other side. For we are Tristain, and with our faith in the Founder and in ourselves, we will overcome even this."
Henrietta stopped speaking to gauge everyone's reactions. If she was judging herself, she felt that her little speech was not nearly as effective as she had hoped. Judging by what she could see, luckily most seemed appeased by her attempt. But there more than few who weren't appeased at all, with some even shaking their heads and looking away. As she sadly suspected, Duke and Duchess Vallière, along with their eldest daughter, belonged to the latter group, but Professor Colbert and Cattleya were at least happy that she tried. Henrietta let out a small sigh and faintly hung her head, but before she could return to her seat, she heard loud clapping coming from overhead.
Shooting her head towards the source of the noise, to her surprise she saw that Mew was looking down on them. She was clapping her paws together, a smile on her face as she looked directly at Henrietta. The eyes that were previously on Henrietta were now focused on the Mythical Pokémon. When she noticed the attention she was getting, Mew smiled and waved before floating down to stop next to Henrietta.
'Hi, everyone!' Mew called out, waving with her long, slender tail. A few students slowly waved back, but the rest simply looked at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Without missing a beat, Mew continued, 'I just wanted everyone to know that it's been really fun playing with everybody, but Dad wants me to come home now.'
At the mention of Mew's father, Henrietta and plenty of other students and teachers gulped nervously. A few sighed in relief, happy that Mew and all she represented was finally leaving. Some, including Cattleya, looked sad to see her go, but knew there wasn't anything they could do to stop it.
'But,' Mew said, 'before we leave, there's one other thing I have to do.'
Without elaborating more, Mew floated upward. High overhead, she gently closed her eyes and concentrated. At first, no one knew what she was doing, then a faint pink glow began to pulsate out from Mew's body. The pulse enveloped the room, spreading out beyond to the entire castle. It's effects were immediately felt, and to everyone's amazement they watched as the signs of Mew's play disappeared before their very eyes. Misshapen pieces of ground were repaired and leveled, vines receded back to whence they came. The grass that had been cut down regrew as the courtyards glowed a lime green, only to stop at clean, uniform level. Paintings which had been drawn on the walls by Mew were scrubbed away, leaving only the stone untouched.
But Mew wasn't done repairing the damage she made. She continued, and everyone watched as the cracks in the stone, formed from centuries of wear and tear, were sealed shut as though they never existed in the first place. Warped wood was straightened, turning to a freshly made condition that would be the envy of any artisan. A sweet aroma even filled the air, one which made Henrietta think of bygone days in her youth. It was a magical feeling, one that she knew everyone present shared.
After just a few moments, the pulsing ceased, but the effects remained. With wonder and awe in their eyes, everyone turned to face Mew, who was smiling at them. No words were spoken, for none needed to be.
Mew nodded at the others, then looked at Princess Henrietta and said, 'Okay, Princess. Let's go.'
Henrietta nodded, then Mew's words registered in her mind as it came to a screeching halt. Her eyes widened, and she faintly asked, "Wait, what?"
Before anyone could react, Mew teleported away, taking Princess Henrietta with her. Everyone stared in silent horror at the spot where they previously stood. A moment later, the first horrified screams began in earnest.
Henrietta could barely breathe as the world shifted before her very eyes. What once was an ancient castle became a swirl of blue and white. A swirl that formed a translucent tunnel, taking her to parts unknown. Past the tunnel walls, she could see dark, crystalline landmasses, separated by vast, mostly empty space filled with dark clouds and stars. Popping in and out of existence, she could see doorways open and close, each one leading to a different place entirely. But more importantly than that, she saw creatures floating among the crystals, creatures that looked monstrous, unnatural, and alien. Henrietta was more frightened than ever in her entire life, and but she couldn't even scream.
But it didn't last for long. Soon, the alien world was replaced by one more familiar, and she found herself landing on solid ground. Not expecting the sudden change, Henrietta fell onto her knees, then shakily lifted her head up to find herself in a tall, slightly cramped alleyway, the sun shining brightly overhead in a cloudless sky. Metal cans and boxes, holding what she could only assume was trash, were lined up next to the walls, and on the ground itself small bags and papers were picked up by the wind, blown past her face.
"…What? Where…where am I?" Henrietta slowly breathed out as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings, then she heard a giggle behind her. Shooting around, she found Mew floating next to her, looking quite satisfied with herself. Realizing immediately that Mew was responsible, Henrietta felt anger bubble up inside her then demanded, "Where did you take me?!"
'You're in Kalos!' Mew answered, throwing her arms to the side.
"WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"
'You wanted to see your friend,' Mew answered, and whatever retort Henrietta had died on her lips. Her blue eyes widened in realization, and Mew's smile grew as she nodded.
Slowly, Henrietta gulped, then whispered, "You mean…Louise is here?"
'Well, not here-here, but here,' Mew unhelpfully replied, tilting and scratching her head. She then added, 'In fact, this is where she first showed up. I might not know exactly where she is right now, but I know you can find out where she is! After all, you're a princess, and princesses can do anything!'
At Mew's cheerful and confident declaration, Henrietta could only stare silently at the Mythical Pokémon. Then, with one final wave, Mew teleported away with a pop, leaving Henrietta alone. She stared at the spot for a few moments, unsure of what to do and more than a little fearful. Then she heard a noise come down from the other end of the alleyway, catching her attention. Henrietta jumped slightly and nervously looked in its direction, holding her wand tightly. After a few moments, Henrietta steeled herself, then cautiously approached.
When she finally left the alley, the sun momentarily blinded her. But, when she finally regained her sight, she gasped at what she saw. No longer was she surrounded an ancient castle of stone. Instead, she found herself standing before a vast cityscape, stretching as far as she could see. Tall buildings made of glass reached up into the heavens, glistening in the sunlight. Horseless carriages moved along the widest streets Henrietta had ever seen, along with hundreds of people going about their day. But that wasn't what truly caught her attention. Instead, it went to the creatures that had captured her imagination ever since she learned of them, and she couldn't help but stare in wonder.
There, walking side by side with some and playing with others, were Pokémon.
'Absolutely not,' Arceus refused, and Mew pitifully whined while giving her father her best puppy-dog eyes as possible.
'Oh, come on! Let her stay! Please?' Mew begged.
'No, out of the question,' Arceus immediately shot down, causing Mew to pout. His eye twitching, Arceus continued, 'She cannot stay here.'
'But she missed her friend!'
'I'm not concerned about that in the slightest. I am concerned about the instability you just caused needlessly because of the whims of a child.'
'Oh, like you taking Louise wouldn't desta…destabil…make things bad?' Mew pointed out, then huffed as she looked away while crossing her arms over her chest.
'There is a difference between taking the youngest daughter of a Duke versus the Princess of a sovereign nation,' Arceus said. 'Especially one who has effectively been running the country and hasn't incurred my ire. I do not care that her nation is not part of my world, her intrusion in Louise's test is not needed and would cause more problems than necessary. Both on Earth and on Terre. I am sending her back.'
'No, you can't do that! She needs to find her friend!' Mew insisted as she threw a tantrum, and Arceus groaned. As he prepared to teleport Henrietta back to Tristain and chastise Mew further, he noticed Celebi floating by. She was holding an ancient, worn book in her hands, and muttering to herself as she floated by, giving the Alpha Pokémon pause. She then briefly looked at Mew and Arceus and, with a blank stare, shook her head while refusing to stop for even a moment.
'Nope, she sticks around,' Celebi interjected casually. 'Trust me, I know.'
Her wide blue eyes then narrowed at her feline sibling, and a note of annoyance entered her mental tone, 'Oh, and thanks for getting the book like you promised, Mew! Reeeal helpful, you are!'
Still telepathically grumbling, Celebi disappeared from view into another of the Hall of Origin's many corridors, her voice trailing off in the distance.
'Oh, right, the book...' Mew said thoughtfully. 'So that's what I was forgetting...'
Arceus stared at his kittenish offspring, then the hallway Celebi had traveled. The Guardian of Time certainly would know if this princess stuck around and joined the Vallière girl, but why would Arceus change his mind over something so big? Or was it simply Celebi's word that convinced him? But if that was the case, how would he have been convinced so that Celebi would know that he'd been convinced so that-
Bah, this was exactly why he'd created Dialga and Celebi in the first place, so that he didn't need to worry about temporal nonsense like inverting cause and effect.
Releasing a sigh, Arceus hung his head then said, 'The Princess can stay.'
'Really?' Mew asked, and when Arceus nodded again she cheered, 'Yay!'
Arceus felt a migraine form as he watched Mew give a celebratory dance. Releasing another sigh, he then asked, 'Why did you only bring the Princess to Kalos and not her family? Or at least just her older sister? I would've been more understanding, if still opposed.'
'I thought about it,' Mew admitted, giving her father a thoughtful nod as she rubbed her paw on the underside of her chin. 'But then I figured that if I brought the nice lady with me, then I'd have to bring the annoying mom lady, too. I didn't want to do that.'
Arceus released another groan, then he decided to turn his attention back onto his world, wondering how this will factor in Louise's trial. He didn't know what would happen, but he was certain thing things just got a lot more complicated. Only time would tell if that was a good or bad thing.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! After over a month of writing nothing but RWBY and DC, we are back to Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this chapter to life.
We are now heading back to Kalos, but not empty handed. Things are certainly going to be a lot more interesting for our favorite Princess as she finds herself in a brand new land. Hopefully she can get to Louise soon. Either way, we are super excited to show what we have in store for Princess Henrietta as she begins a Pokemon Journey of her own. I think you guys are going to love it.
I'm glad you guys liked the Halkegenia Episode so much. We had a lot of fun bringing more Familiar of Zero into this Familiar of Zero/Pokemon crossover. Something that we felt was lacking, and was one of the reasons why we had Henrietta join the main cast. We're really excited to show you guys what we have in store. That was actually one of the main goals of this chapter, bring a FoZ character to join Saito and Louise's party. We debated on several people or even a small group. There were a lot of good options there. Siesta where she could reconnect with her ancestral homeland. Kirche and Tabitha where they could legitimately bond and befriend Louise, the girl they either picked on or ignored at best. The Valliere family in whole so that we could get that Valliere family bonding goodness, something they desperately need. We even considered the entire class. Not for long, but for a bit. But, in the end, we decided that the best story that could be told lied in Henrietta being brought over to Earth, and we think you guys are going to like it.
Yeah, Mew was a delight to write. Just a powerful yet childish being. Such a combination makes for really entertaining shenanigans. For us, at least. But her impact on the main story is done for now, so don't expect her to show up in a major capacity again anytime soon.
Let us know what you guys think. If any of you have a TV Tropes account, any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page would be greatly appreciated. Since I'm no longer writing back-to-back Hunters of Justice chapters to finish off an arc I've been setting up for years, expect a regular updating schedule for Outsiders and my other stories as I give HoJ a well-deserved break for the rest of the year.
See you all next time!
