Hello everyone! Here is the rewrite of Celestial Phoneix!
The biggest change is that Ace Kingdom and Clover Kingdom are going into an alliance immediately, and Celestial Phoenix will be a mixed squad of Ace and Clover mages.
The SYOC Form and world info will be on my profile page. The World Info will also be at the bottom of the chapter.
I'll be accepting 12 OCs. Forms will be due on FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2025.
P.S- To everyone who sent in an OC for the old version, if you think they would still fit for Celestial Phoenix let me know! It is a bit different from the original
1. Of Captains and Alliances
Three Months After Spade War
Clover Kingdom
Noble Realm
Royal Capital
Magic Knight Headquarters, Julius' Office
"You want me to what?!" A young woman stared at Julius in disbelief, but he only smiled back at her, calm and confident. "You have to be joking."
"I'm not," Julius said, no hint of hesitation in his voice. "I want you to be the captain of your own squad of Magic Knights."
The woman in question ran a hand through her thick, light purple-colored curls, her aquamarine green eyes meeting Julius'. "It's not that I'm not honored, but surely better candidates exist. I'm not even from the Clover Kingdom."
"Neither is Yami, and he makes a remarkable captain," Julius reasoned. "If that's all you're concerned about, then you'll do fine."
"You already do all of my paperwork, and you run the base smoothly. It won't be any different if you have a squad of your own, Valance," a cheerful voice added.
Valance narrowed her eyes slightly, shifting her gaze to meet the excited pink eyes of her aqua-haired captain. "Captain Rill, you do realize that if I leave, the Aqua Deer will no longer have a vice-captain and that you'll be the one having to run the base and do your paperwork."
Rill laughed, brushing away her worries with a large smile, "You make it sound like I never do any of it."
Valance paused, well he did do some of it, but only after she or Walter dragged him out of his room to do it. If he was left to his own devices, he'd paint all day and blow out the walls in his room with his magic, which he was known to do.
"And besides," The sudden seriousness in Rill's voice pulled Valance out of her thoughts, "It's time I take being a captain more seriously myself. That means doing the actual paperwork." He looked gloomy for a second, "The elf invasion and the recent war with Spade made me realize that I haven't been acting completely as a captain should, it's time I stepped up. And no offense, Valance, but I don't think I can do that if you're there, I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from going back into the habit of relying on you to do most of the work."
Valance gaped, stunned, at her captain; she was pretty sure that was the most serious thing he had ever told her. A small smile formed on her lips. "Looks like you've matured a bit, captain."
"Maybe." He said, giving a smile back.
She looked at him a while longer before turning to the last person in the room, taking her in thoughtfully. "What do you think of all this?"
The woman in question was extremely beautiful with flawless golden skin, thick silvery hair that fell down her back in loose princess curls, and large dusk-colored eyes. She was dressed in a black form-fitting dress that had a slit on the skirt and knee-high black boots with long heels.
"What I think doesn't matter." The woman shook her head, though there was a smile on her lips. "It's for the benefit of the Ace Kingdom, so I won't complain."
"The borders between the Ace Kingdom and the rest of the Kingdoms have been blocked for years, why are you suddenly reaching out?" Valance asked. "An alliance between the Ace Kingdom and the Clover Kingdom by integrating some Ace mages into a magic knight squad. I can't believe King Augustus agreed to it."
She was also surprised that the Clover Queen agreed to it; Queen Celande Novalic Kira-Clover was also born in the Ace Kingdom and sent away to marry King Augustus XIII when she was only fifteen, barely having gained her grimoire. That was what the Clover people were told... but the truth was much darker, and if it came out, she knew that the Queen was worried about the effects it could have on her kids.
Maybe the Queen was starting to feel guilty about the past, or maybe, with how things were going, she thought an encounter with the Ace Kingdom was inevitable, so she was trying to get it over with while partially controlling the narrative. She guessed either was likely, only time would tell which one it was.
"The simplest answer is firepower. The Magic Knights are strong, but so is the Ace Kingdom, it makes sense to have strong allies. The Clover Kingdom has had it rough these past few years, the Kingdom as a whole has my condolences," The woman said smoothly, drawing Valance out of her musings, "But the Ace Kingdom has been dealing with internal and external attacks these past few years too. Our current Queen thinks our enemies are starting to break through our borders and seep into the other Kingdoms. Because our enemies may try to invade, my Queen thinks an alliance may be beneficial for both Ace and Clover."
"What enemies?" Valance asked anxiously, was it who she thought it was? Had that person finally returned?
"The Blighted Army, of course, their numbers have grown and we've been struggling to contain them," Adriane said.
"What's the Blight Army?" Rill asked.
"They're the army of a warmongering Kingdom from across the sea. They've been trying to invade the Ace Kingdom for nearly a century they're the main reason why we've closed our borders." Adriane explained.
Valance blinked at the explanation, it was one of the Ace Kingdom's closely guarded secrets that they'd had been fighting an invasion for so long... for Adriane to easily give that secret up, it told Valance that the Ace Kingdom's Queen was more desperate for an alliance than she had originally thought.
"Why not include the Heart, Diamond, or Spade Kingdoms? Especially if your Queen believes a full-scale invasion is possible?" Julius asked. If the Ace Queen was so worried, wouldn't it make more sense to include more Kingdoms to have a united front?
"When you had your conflicts with the Diamond and Spade Kingdom, they were the ones to instigate, correct?" The woman asked. "Our Queen thinks allying with you is our safest bet. As for the Heart Kingdom, she wants to see how an alliance goes with one Kingdom before reaching out to others. She's being cautious, but I trust my Queen's judgment."
"Hmm," Valance hummed, "Adriane Valeryon, I never thought you'd be so agreeable to what the Queen had to say."
"I'd never agree with the Interim King who ruled before, but our current Queen has taken measures to protect all the people of Ace. She's a bit controversial, but she's a good Queen Val,"
Valance nodded, "And…. what do the Courts think? I know the d'Chevaliers of my old Court can't be happy." It hurt to say, but it was the truth: she was not wanted in the Celestial Courts of the Ace Kingdom.
Adriane sighed, "The Head of the d'Chevalier family threw a fit, especially when your name was mentioned. But the Queen pushed for the alliance, she's on shaky grounds with the Celestial Courts now, but she has the full backing of the Lunar and Solar Courts."
Valance nodded, it made sense, her grandmother was still the head of the d'Chevalier family, so she ran the Celestial Court as she wished. Both the Lunar and Solar Courts were run by younger heads; it was no surprise that their views were the same as those of a younger Queen.
"No backlash?" She asked, she needed to make sure the family she did like back in the Ace Kingdom wouldn't get punished if she agreed to be Captain of a new squad, especially one that had Ace mages in it.
"Your grandmother can't do anything without upsetting the other Courts and Queen," Adriane smiled, "Her hands are tied, and she knows it. Your nephew likes the idea of an alliance. I can't wait until he takes over as family head."
"Chiron has always had a good head on his shoulders," Valance agreed before turning back to Julius and Rill; both men had confused looks on their faces, "Inner-family politics," She explained easily.
Julius sighed, "Sounds like the same issues some of our royalty and nobility have," He laughed lightly before focusing back on Valance, "So, have you made your decision?"
Valance looked at Julius and smiled, excitement forming in her eyes as her lips curled up in a grin. Her worries were far from gone; she still thought the idea of Ace Kingdom mages joining the Magic Knights would cause trouble and new problems, but it was exciting, and a small selfish part of her wanted to be around people from her own Kingdom again. As much as she had come to love Clover, it could never beat home.
She was still a bit worried about Aqua Deer too. It would be a while for Rill to find another vice-captain and run the Aqua Deer by himself smoothly, but he was right, he needed to grow on his own. And she needed to have some fate in him, he'd be able to do it, after all, he was the youngest Captain in magic knight history for a reason.
"Okay, Julius, I'll take you up on your offer." She said, "But first, tell me honestly, do you think a squad made out of mages from two different Kingdoms can work? And why me?"
Julius turned away to look out his window, contemplative. "Why you? The Ace Queen specifically requested you to lead since you've been in Clover for years, but you're originally from the Ace Kingdom. You also know Adriane from your time there, so she thought the two of you would work well together. I also think you'd make an excellent Captain. You've been brilliant as the vice-captain of Aqua Deer, and I think you'll grow into an even better Magic Knight with a squad of your own." He smiled at her,
"And yes, I think you can make this squad work, we have you on our side for Clover and Adriane for Ace, I'm sure you two will work hard to mend the gap between your squad members." He finished.
"That's a lot of faith you're putting in someone you just met," Adriane mused, crossing her arms, studying the Wizard King intently.
"I'm putting a lot of faith into this whole operation." Julius agreed, "But so is your Queen, after all, she wouldn't have sent you if she thought you'd fail in forming a connection here."
"I'll be honest, I'm also hoping that the idea of working with mages from a different kingdom will draw more people in for the Magic Knight entrance exams, they're sure to be curious," Julius added after a moment. "If not the people, then news of a new squad always raises the numbers of examinees."
Valance nodded along; it made sense; the Magic Knight entrance exam was coming up fast, and the idea of a new squad may draw in more candidates. The exams also couldn't have come at a better time; the Magic Knights had lost many of their numbers with the war with Spade; they needed recruits more than ever, but... "I understand that we need to replenish the number of Magic Knights, but why do we need a new squad? Wouldn't examinees want to join a more established squad instead of a new one?"
"That leads me to my last reason, a new beginning or a rebirth perhaps," Julius said.
"A new beginning? What do you mean?" Valance asked, not following his line of thought. She glanced at Rill and Adriane, but they looked just as confused as her.
Julius looked back towards Valance and Rill. "Just that, a new alliance, a clean slate, a squad that shows they will welcome everyone and anyone, even if they're from a different kingdom. I like to think that it's renewing our vow to protect the Clover Kingdom no matter what."
"Makes sense..." Valance said, deep in thought. Personally, she also thought the lack of squad history would be appealing to some, there wouldn't be any powerful figures that they'd have to live up to, at least in the squad itself. She knew she had hated hearing the amazing feats Julius, Yami, and William did in Grey Deer; sometimes, it felt like she could never reach their heights hearing those stories.
"I understand," Valance said, pulling herself out of her thoughts when she realized that both Rill and Julius were waiting for her to speak. She brought her hand to her chest, saluting him. "I won't let you down, Lord Julius."
"Neither will I," Adriane spoke up, "As long as I'm here, you'll have the Ace Kingdom's support. I won't let you or my Queen down." She looked at Valance, an excited spark appearing in her eyes, "And I'm excited to fight by your side again, Valance, it's been too long."
"I know you won't," Julius smiled at her, he already found her fascinating and wanted to get another glimpse of her magic. Night magic, she had said; what he had seen of it had been beautiful and horrifying, like nightmares come to life, he couldn't wait to see more. But more importantly, she reminded him of Valance; they had the same determination and confidence, the same stubborn will, that more than anything, told him he could rely on her for her stay in the kingdom.
"So, what's the squad's name? Rill spoke up, looking between the two women.
Adriane and Valance exchanged a look, the older woman shrugging, "I don't care about the name, you decide since you've been here for years."
"Hmmm..." Valance closed her eyes, thinking for a moment when a warm, nostalgic voice filled her head:
"Remember, Valance, every star is unique, and they should all be valued the same. After all, even the smallest star will glow brightly given the chance."
"I got it," Valance finally said, meeting Julius' smile with one of her own, "I want my squad to be a place where everyone can grow and get stronger, no matter where they came from. And Julius, you said something about rebirth, right? So how about... Celestial Phoenix?"
"I love it!" Both Rill and Julius were suddenly in her face, stars in their eyes.
Valance took a couple of steps back, a light blush on her cheeks, "I-it sounds a bit too grand now that I've said it out loud." She said sheepishly.
"Not at all," Julius quickly shook his head. "I think it sounds perfect. I can't wait to see how your new squad does along with the rest of the Magic Knights!" He said getting excited. "I wonder what type of magic they'll have?!" Stars danced in his eyes as he worked himself up in his excitement.
"Let me recruit them first before you drool over their magic!" Valance teased, but she couldn't wait either. The next few months would be interesting.
"What do you think?" She then turned to Adriane. It would be their squad, so it wouldn't be good if the Ace representative hated the name.
Adriane laughed, "I think it fits you perfectly. I like it. It also has the bonus of sending your grandmother into a fit when she learns of the name. She hates when the word 'Celestial' is associated with you. Remind her that you're family."
"Oh..." The smile briefly vanished from Valance's face, and she glanced curiously at Adriane. "Tell me honestly, how did the meeting go when my grandmother learned that the alliance between our kingdoms heavily involved me?"
The smile on Adriane's face turned annoyed, "Well... it didn't end well, but we're here, aren't we?"
Valance sighed, feeling a headache start, she just knew that her life was going to get more complicated.
Three Months After Spade War
Ace Kingdom
Royal Citadel
Queen Inara Dragomirova-Ace's Personal Office
A young woman with fair skin, wavy rose-gold hair, and polished bronze-colored eyes sat behind a polished wooden desk, a pleased hum leaving her lips as she read over the contents of the letter in her hands.
She was dressed in a modest white dress with gold accents and red trimmings, the hem of the dress, brushing against the floor.
"Is everything alright, your Highness?" A man with sun-kissed skin, thick, wavy black hair, and narrow, deep purple eyes sat behind his desk in his office, working instead of sleeping for once.
He was dressed in a long-sleeved double-breasted black coat with a standing collar and two rows of gold buttons on the front, and neatly pressed black trousers and polished black dress shoes sat behind his desk. He was happy and content to work in peace when, sadly, that peace was shattered a moment later:
The Queen smiled, "Yes, more than alright, Nox. It seems that our proposal for an alliance with the Clover Kingdom was officially accepted. We'll have to send an announcement to all the Courts, and have them send a few of their mages to the Magic Knight Exams in Clover."
"That's great!" The other person in the room smiled happily. She had thick, fiery orange hair that cascaded down her back in loose curls, apricot-toned skin, and large, bright green eyes with fiery gold rings around her pupils.
She was dressed in a crimson red tunic dress that went to her knees, the sleeves loose and flowing past her elbows. There was a dark brown sash wrapped around her waist, and she had on matching dark brown armbands with gold accents and ankle-high dark brown boots that had a slight heel. "Can I head over to Clover too?!" She was bouncing on her feet, an excitement glimmer in her eyes.
"We should wait to see how things go, Idalia," Inara said calmly. "We'll leave it to Adriane for now to investigate things in the Clover Kingdom."
"With who the Clover Queen is, I think it is best that you stay here for now, Idalia," Nox said, looking at her. "Your family and the Queen have some tense history."
"Queen Celande has a bad history with many of the high nobility from here," Idalia reasoned, "Adriane has a tense relationship with her too, but you sent her."
"I sent her because Qrow has faith that she can put her personal conflicts behind her for the good of our Kingdom. I agree with him." Inara explained.
"And I can't?" Idalia asked, looking a bit offended. If anything, she had less personal conflict with Celande than Adriane.
"You can. But I also want to honor Kiran's request to keep you here. Your sister is worried about you. But we did agree that if the situation turns dire, you will get sent to assist if needed."
Idalia sighed and fell back into her chair, looking disappointed. "Fine, fine. But it's boring here without Adriane."
Nox huffed, reshuffling the papers in front of him. "I'm glad she's off on a mission. The two of you together are a menace. I have white hairs because of you two."
"You just don't take care of yourself," Idalia hummed, kicking up her feet and putting her boots on his papers, only for him to push her feet off the desk, a scowl on his face.
"Don't inconvenience our Queen," Nox growled, shoving her feet off his desk again when she tried to place them on the corner of the wooden desk.
"I'm not inconveniencing our Queen. Just you." Idalia said back, laughing at the look on his face.
Inara laughed along before focusing on Idalia and causing the fiery-haired girl to straighten up in her seat, snapping to attention. "There is something you can do for me."
"What is it?" She asked excitedly.
"There have been some disturbances on our northern borders. Can you take a unit and investigate?"
"Yes!" She cheered, she had been bored out of her mind, staying at the Citadel for weeks. "I'm on it. We'll leave immediately if that's alright."
Inara nodded, and Idalia rushed out of the room, bumping into Nox's desk and sending the papers he had just organized falling to the floor.
"Kleoné! We have a mission! Get ready!" Idalia's cheerful voice was loud as she ran through the hall.
"Idalia!" Nox cried after her, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.
Inara bent down and helped him pick up the papers despite his protest. "She's been restless lately. This mission will be good for her."
"Should have just sent her to Clover." Nox huffed, straightening up.
"Maybe one day," Inara said. "Despite my hopes, I think things are already far out of our control."
And that's the end of it! As always, let me know what you guys think in the reviews!
As I said before, the SYOC Form and rules will be on my profile page!
Celestial Phoenix Lore (Mostly Ace Kingdom Stuff)
1. This fic starts three months after the War with the Spade Kingdom
2. Valance has been in the Clover Kingdom for the past eleven years
Ace Kingdom History Summary:
The Ace Kingdom is surrounded by many Grand Magic Zones and has a natural magic barrier that keeps people without Ace Kingdom blood out. Since the Kingdom is surrounded by dense zones of mana, it is dangerous to try to get through the borders of the Ace Kingdom.
The Ace Kingdom has a Ruler that governs the Kingdom as a whole overall, but the kingdom itself is split into four separate Courts, the Solar, Lunar, and Celestial Courts, and the Royal Court which is where the royal family resides. The three other Courts are mostly self-sufficient and self-governed, lower political issues, events, and crimes are seen in their own Courts, but the larger, kingdom-impacting events are overseen by the Royal Court. The Lunar, Solar, and Celestial Courts are ruled by the High noble families who answer in turn to the Royal Court.
For the past century, the Hyberion Kingdom from across the sea has been trying to invade the Ace Kingdom but has been held back by the mages of the Ace Kingdom, and the magical barrier that surrounds the Kingdom. The closest time the Hyberion Kingdom got close to invading the Ace Kingdom was twelve years ago, which is when the Previous Queen, Jannah died protecting the Kingdom and her husband, King Celino became Regent since their daughter was only six at the time.
Celino was a bad King, easily manipulated, and many people took advantage of his more simple nature. The Ace Kingdom almost fell under his regency, and many corrupt nobles came into power during his Rule. The only reason the Ace Kingdom didn't fall was because the Hyberion Kingdom pulled back their attacks, the last battle decimating their troops for a time. Once his daughter Inara became Queen, she tried to undo much of what he did, though she is having trouble, with the nobility, with the added bonus of the Hyberion Kingdom trying to invade full force again.
Courts of the Ace Kingdom:
The Royal Court: This Court is in the very center of the Ace Kingdom, it is where the King/Queen resides and where the Royal Citadel is. The current Queen is Inara Dragomirnova-Ace, a seventeen-year-old mage who uses Aether Magic. She became Queen when she was fifteen, right after she got her grimoire. She pushed her father out due to his bad rule and he is currently under house arrest. She is a good Queen who is trying to make up for her father's bad decisions and trying to root out the corruption that took hold under Celino's rule. The people who work under her adore her.
The Celestial Court: This is the Court that Valance is originally from and the Court that pushed for her exile. The High family that rules over the Celestial Court is the d'Chevalier Family. The High family of this court specializes in Celestial and Star types of Magic. The head of the family is Meliora Bouverie-d'Chevalier, a woman who married into the family, but acts like she is a true-blooded d'Chevalier woman. She is a cruel, power-grabbing woman who will do anything to hold onto her power. They are the harshest family when it comes to rules and laws, mostly to protect their own power, but the younger generation is all right and likes Inara's rule so far.
The Lunar Court: This is the Court that Adriane is from. The High family that rules over the Lunar Court is the Vasilikov family. The High family of this court specializes in Lunar and Night types of magic. They have a new Head of House, Qrow Vasilikov, he has a bad reputation because it is known that he tries to shrug off paperwork, choosing to sleep or roam around his City instead of doing actual work. But he is actually a good Lord and roams around to make sure that the people in his court are happy and well. He's rather easy-going.
The Solar Court: The High family that rules over the Solar Court is the de'Sauveterre family. The High family of the court specializes in Sun and Solar Magic, the current head of the House is Kiran de'Sauveterre. She is more a scholar of medicine than a warrior. This court has always dealt with some level of corruption and backstabbing; the de'Sauveterre family suffered from various betrayals. Despite all the betrayals, they are still the most accepting of the courts. This is also the court where the current Clover Queen, Celande Novalic Kira-Clover is from.