The good news was that Flayn had been able to turn back soon after transforming. The really good news was that she was able to get a promise from Marisa to keep this a secret. The bad news was that her roar had been heard throughout the entire Monastery and the knights were now scrambling to find the savage beast that had wandered close to the Academy. The really bad news was that one person not panicking blindly right now, her fa- brother, was also the one person who would recognize her roar.

Needless to say, neither she nor Marisa were in a particularly favorable position as they sat in Seteth's office.

"Flayn. Why and how did you transform into that form?" Seteth asked as he pinched his brow. For once he wasn't overreacting. Neither of them had been capable of transforming ever since they gave up their power at the end of the great war.

"It was an accident," Flayn explained. "And I believe this stone that Marisa gifted me is responsible for it."

Seteth's eye twitched as he glared at Marisa. "You're responsible for this?"

Marisa raised her hands. "It was an accident. How was I supposed to know that that pretty stone Patchy gave me would make Flayn transform, or that she was a dragon? Kinda knew you two weren't humans, but dragon? Nuh uh. Haven't dealt with one of those since a couple years back when I accidently broke the seal trapping the power of a supposedly evil dragon."

Both Flayn and Seteth looked at Marisa strangely.

"He left me a fang as thanks. Even said he'd come by to visit again… eventually."

"Anyway…" Flayn decided to put that particular piece of information aside for later. "Marisa speaks the truth brother. She likely had no idea what this stone could do. I didn't until I used it myself… How did this stone allow me to transform again anyway?"

Seteth put his hand on the table and sighed. "It's not something you would've been aware of while you were sleeping, but I've received reports in the past of stones in other lands allowing certain species to transform even when their original form was once thought lost. Beaststones and Dragonstones they called them."

"And you never thought to inform me of this?" Flayn asked, slightly annoyed at yet another secret that her own fa- brother kept from her. Because yea, that would've been really nice to know!

"It wasn't necessary. We both willingly gave up most of our powers in order to maintain the clarity of our minds and allow us to live among humans. Even if these stones could allow us to tap into that power without that cost, our need for secrecy would prevent us from ever finding a reason to use it."

"I mean yea if you were trying to keep the dragon thing a secret, transforming in the middle of a populated area probably wouldn't be the way to go," Marisa admitted. "Even if she is a very fluffy dragon."

"Fluffy?" Flayn asked.

"The fluffiest."

"Don't change the subject, this situation is not resolved," Seteth said firmly.

"I mean isn't it?" Marisa asked. "The whole transformation thing was an accident, we know how it happened and how not to do it, no one else saw what happened apart from me, and I know how to keep a secret. If the knights are really worried about some monster than just say that I chased it off. What's the issue?"

"The issue is, why were you taking Flayn with you to the middle of a forest!?"

"… Would this be the best time to admit that we both just wanted to gossip about you?"

"Got Seteth mad again, didn't you?"

"Yep," Marisa replied to Claude as they commiserated together over their shared detention. She then turned and looked at a very annoyed and still angry Lysithea. "What are you two in for?"

"I might've tried to scare her," Claude admitted.

"Fireball?"

"Lightning bolt actually. Lys has great fight or flight instincts."

"It's what you deserve for frightening me! And why were you trying to scare me!?" Lys shouted. "Now we're stuck here instead of planning for our part of the Security in the Right of Rebirth."

Oh yea Marisa had heard about that. It was a mission that all Three Houses shared in order to protect some sort of ceremony. She didn't really know her class's part in it because she admittedly wasn't listening much to that. Honestly if her classmates needed her to do something, they'd tell her. Otherwise she would just do her own thing.

"You seemed kinda pent up. Needed to let loose a little," Claude replied.

"Well now I'm even more stressed!" Lys roared. "And now I have to find a way to make things up to Lorenz!"

"Eh. He deserved it."

"He deserved something," Lysithea admitted as she began tugging on her ribbon. "But not for me to burn a good chunk of his hair to a crisp."

"Just means he'll finally get a proper haircut," Claude replied. "You could even get him one of those ribbons you like. Or a giant hat like Marisa."

Marisa hummed to herself as the two continued to bicker. She then turned to Flayn who had willingly put herself into this room with them as an act of solidarity, and a bit of rebellion. "So whatcha in for?"

"You know I'm here for," Flayn replied, annoyed. "Even if my… brother refuses to punish me for anything, your detention is just petty retaliation. Of course people are going to gossip about him, should he punish all the students that do so!?"

"Actually I'm pretty sure he used that as an excuse to punish me for all the other things I might've done, and probably did, but he could never prove," Marisa admitted. It really wasn't that unfair when you considered that.

Flayn immediately perked up. "Really what did you do?" she asked in a conspiratorial tone.

Marisa leaned and whispered in her ear. "Supplied Claude for a couple of his pranks. Nabbed a few coins from those nobles that kept tossing their cash around."

"Stealing!?" Flayn gasped. "How… delinquent."

"Eh. It's not any amount they actually care about and I can use that money more than them. Kinda broke since well the Yen isn't accepted in Fodlan."

"I could always lend you money."

"Nah?" Marisa shook her head. "Might borrow things from friends. But I will eventually give them back probably after I die. Money isn't something I can give back once I've spent it though."

"Then what about an exchange? Currency for you to use here in exchange for currency I might use when I visit Gensokyo."

"Would mean we'd have to figure out how much one coin here would go for one Yen. We'd have to compare the prices of certain goods in both places. Maybe make a chart," Marisa mused.

Flayn nodded. "A project for us in our free time."

They then both turned to the other occupants in the room as Lysithea seemed to be about concluding her tirade against Claude.

"And if you ever try that same prank on my Sensei, then I swear to all the Gods there is no realm that you could flee to escape my wrath," Lysithea told him.

"That's a nasty threat there," Claude replied.

"It's not a threat. It's a promise."

"Woah okay," Claude held his hands out in surrender. "Clearly your Sensei is a sensitive point. Won't try anything on her."

"Good. She's already occupied as it is… and I've already embarrassed her enough with my conduct," Lysithea muttered before she looked down, ashamed.

"Woah Lys," Marisa intervened. Didn't need the girl spiraling down again. "We've done crazier and stupider things in Gensokyo and Patchy didn't care… that much. She's proud of you. We all are. So stop thinking you don't belong with us."

"I'm the weakest of us."

"You're the youngest too."

"Are you calling me a child!?"

"No," Marisa just stopped herself from moaning. Godsdamnit Lys. Now was not the time for her to be sensitive about her maturity. "Alice is barely older than you. So if we treated you like a kid then we'd be doing the same to her."

"Wait, how young is Alice?" Claude asked, interest clearly written on his face. "Cause." He gestured around his body.

"Alice is a weird case. Witch stuff, but yea definitely an adult despite her age," Marisa waved him off before turning her attention back to Lys. "The point is that you should focus on getting your stuff done and not compare yourself to us."

"Yea okay," Lysithea replied, though she definitely didn't mean it. The girl could be as stubborn as her Sensei unfortunately.

"So how long are you two stuck in here?" Marisa asked.

Lysithea grimaced. "Several weeks but apparently the Professor has negotiated an alternative. Not too sure if I'll even take it."

"They want her to do a couple of supplementary seminars for the Academy. Foreign magics and all that," Claude explained happily.

That caused Lysithea to frown even more. "They actually tried to ask Sensei but well…"

"She blew them off," Marisa replied.

Lysithea nodded. "Harshly. Said it wasn't really worth her time… and she pointed them to me instead."

"See! Patchy does think highly of you if she's willing to refer you for this sorta thing."

"You and I both know that Sensei loves to dump her grunt work on me… which granted usually does have a purpose in my studies." Lysithea sighed. "Fine. But I do this begrudgingly."

Patchouli tenderly caressed the cover of the book, not even needing to open it to detect the bookmark with a rune that had been inserted inside. Hand drawn runes were unique, the smallest of angles denoting the signature of its creator. Sharp, quick, and to the point. Clearly Lysithea's handiwork, as were all other books that were magically enchanted.

Right now with Lysithea gone and several students making a mess of it, the library was in a bit of disarray. However Patchouli knew that her student would be able to clean it all up in an instant upon her return.

That was a strength of her student's. Her incredible organizational skills, much better than Patchouli's admittingly. She simply didn't have time to make things look pretty for others, that was Koa's job.

Apparently, the actual librarian in charge of this location was gone at the moment, having left most of his responsibilities to Lysithea instead. Which was probably the best of all the people attending this Academy and that wasn't Patchouli puffing her student up. She herself had considered and planned on letting Lysithea take charge of her Library if there was ever a situation where she had to leave it for extended periods of time. And on the chance that she happened to perish before her student, well there were few others that Patchouli would want to pass down her knowledge to.

Patchouli picked up one of the religious texts they kept in the library. A story of this land's Goddess or whatever. A copy of it was actually back in her library, brought there by her students, though she had never taken the time to read it herself. Perhaps it was time then. Learning about this land's mythology would be useful if she ever had to visit again. Not that she wanted to but Lysithea seemed rather attached to this place.

Which also meant that she would have to act much more carefully then she'd like.

"It's rude to skulk around like a rat without introducing yourself."

There was no answer. No sign of movement from outside the library.

Patchouli sighed. "Koa."

Her familiar did as instructed, emerging from hiding and shocking the other individual that had tried to conceal themselves. A tall man with shaggy black hair stepped into view, looking quite annoyed.

"This is a public area. I can be here if I wish to be," the man replied.

"Do I look like I care much for this land's laws?" Patchouli asked him.

"Would you really risk causing trouble for your own student?"

"Oooh, maybe don't threaten Lys like that," Koakuma commented. "I mean Lys could probably handle you but Patchy here tends to take those sorta things real seriously."

"Who and what are you?" The man asked the familiar.

"Koakuma. Succubus, Librarian, and the Familiar of the great Patchouli Knowledge. And you're Hubert."

Ah so that was what that boy's name was.

Hubert raised an eye. "Succubus?"

"Sex demon. We seduce people and acquire sustenance from their lust."

Hubert immediately turned toward Patchouli.

"Summoning her was an accident," Patchouli admitted. "She does her job so I keep her around."

"Yea I do," Koakuma replied with a smirk.

"Anyway, do you want to explain why you're stalking me?"

"I must acquire information on anyone that might be a threat to my Lady," Hubert replied.

"Your… lady?" Patchouli tilted her head. "If you want relationship tips you can just ask Koa."

"No you fool! My devotion to Edelgard is beyond such base instincts."

"You sure?" Koa asked. "Cause I can tell you are attracted to women and a nice strong lad-"

"Do not assume that you know anything about our relationship. I am her steward, utterly loyal to her."

Great. Another Sakuya. "So what does she have to do with me?" Patchouli asked. "I've never met her."

Hubert scoffed. "You ate at the same table as her. How could you not remember her?"

"I don't remember people that don't matter to me. And why would I matter to her?"

"Because your student is an… acquaintance of hers and if Edelgard wishes to spend more time with Ordelia then I must learn more about her. As her Sensei you would be a reference for her character."

"You mean a source of information." Patchouli shook her head. "I couldn't think of any reasons Lysithea would hold any ill will toward your Empress. As much as I am familiar with the Ordelia's I know and chose to know little else about the lands outside their territory."

"The Ordelians have a history with Adrestia."

"Oh that Empire," Patchouli mused. "Then if Lysithea holds anything personal against your Empress, she hasn't told me."

"Hmph. Then I will deal with her as I see fit."

"You will treat her with the respect she deserves or I will curse you."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

"One should take care about the oaths they make."

"And one should take care when bothering a Witch." Patchouli leisurely pointed a finger at the man and he tensed. When nothing happened immediately he gradually lowered his guard and stared at her finger.

"Did you do something? Or are you just being rude by pointing-"

Hubert's pants suddenly fell from his waist and he quickly scrambled to pull them back up. But alas, Patchouli had already gotten a good view of his checkered boxers.

Patchouli waved the boy off. "Now go. Or I will escalate."

Hubert immediately left the room after that, looking more unsettled than angry. Not surprising considering he seemed the sort that rarely let himself be caught off guard like that.

"How did you steal his belt without him realizing?" Patchouli asked her familiar. It was a gift that Koa had which was occasionally used for situations like this.

Koakuma put a finger to her lips, a sly grin on her face. "A lady has her secrets. Besides, shouldn't you have figured it out by now with how much I've used it on you?"

"Ah. I uh…" Patchouli blushed a little. "Tend to be a bit preoccupied at the time to figure it out."

"Well then." Koakuma put a finger on the bottom of Patchouli's chin before slowly sliding it down the neck and stopping at the collarbone. "Why don't we find someplace private so that you can try to pay attention this time."

Patchouli only needed a second to think about her familiar's proposal. "That would be nice."

"It's refreshing to be talking with another performer," Dorothea commented as she and Alice enjoyed a cup of tea with scones. "Manuela is good company when she's sober but she's quite busy… and rarely sober."

"This Manuela sounds like quite a character," Alice commented as Shanghai filled her cup. Hourai meanwhile was busy cleaning off any plates or silverware that got too particularly dirty. "Though admittedly the people of Gensokyo tend to be prone to vast overdrinking." The fact that that description included herself remained unsaid.

"Oh I don't mean to say anything bad about her." There was a wistful look on Dorothea's face. "She has her vices, yes, but she was a wonderful mentor. I learned a lot from her during our time together in the theater and when she was on stage… it just takes your breath away."

"High praise coming from you."

"What about you? Anyone that you admire?" Dorothea asked.

"No one really that comes to mind," Alice lied naturally. Praise from her was reserved to those who actually deserved it and only in private.

"I'm surprised you let that man go that far without you telling him off," Dorothea commented, changing the topic. "You are a noble, aren't you?"

Alice raised an eye. "What makes you think that?"

"The way you drink your tea. Even the way your puppet serves us. That isn't an act that's just you moving as naturally as breathing."

"Ah. I am the daughter of an… influential individual in a faraway land," Alice admitted. She wouldn't lie about that. She had her pride after all, a likely consequence of her upbringing as a princess of Makai. Being raised as the adoptive daughter and sole heir of the Creator of Ruler of the entire realm of Demonkind tended to cause certain eccentricities to appear in one's personality, something she tried to be very self-aware of.

Even if she would lie and omit much to others, she would never do that to herself.

"They took great care in my education and upbringing," Alice continued as she set down her teacup. "But that doesn't matter where I live now nor does it matter here."

"Most nobles would say their status matters."

"I can acknowledge and appreciate the advantages my family gave to me, but I refuse to coast on that alone. A bit of a rebellious streak if you will, a way to prove that I can strike out and thrive on my own." Alice sighed as Shanghai helped to wipe her mouth. "Mother does worry though and I know she has some way of keeping track of me even at this very moment."

The infuriating thing was that she could never figure out how. Some sort of blood magic, soul binding, or some sort of untraceable tracker stuffed into her underwear?

"Ah. Overprotective parents. I have heard many complaints of students here who chafe under their gaze or struggle against expectations."

"And your own parents?"

"I… do not have parents. Orphan, you see. Quite self-made, getting to this illustrious academy through effort alone."

Alice snorted. "Perhaps by this land's standards. Though nepotism and wealth will always be a discriminating factor of any educational institution. Can always buy your way in with enough money or donated resources."

"You do not think highly of the Officer's Academy."

"No. I am only here because one of ours insisted on attending, despite attempts on my part to dissuade her otherwise." Alice shook her head. "Lysithea should focus on her personal development with her Sensei, me, and even Marisa as her fellow mentors and Magicians. Alas Lys is quite the stubborn individual, something she inherited from her dear Sensei."

"You have a lot to say about your friends."

Alice shrugged. "I won't betray secrets, but I am honest about my feelings and opinions of them. Just as I'm honest if people were to ask me about them."

"What do you think of me then?"

"You have a lot of pent up frustration, " Alice replied casually. Each of her group had their strengths. Patchouli with her devotion to study and genuine breadth of knowledge, Marisa with her wanderlust and practical skills, Lysithea with her still relatively intact common sense and genuine gift at learning new skills, and Alice herself with her maturity and observational skills. There was little that escaped her eyes should she put in the effort. "You are dissatisfied with your lot here though I will not venture to ask why as that would make you uncomfortable."

Dorothea winced, now looking a bit uncomfortable herself. "I did ask for that."

Alice nodded. "You did. Though I still apologize nevertheless."

Teatime ended soon after that, leaving Alice alone at the table once Dorothea left. Whether or not she would come again was the question. No matter. Alice would only devote time to people who had thick enough skin to handle a bit of honesty anyway. That was why she somewhat enjoyed the others of her group. They could handle and even bite back themselves.

Lysithea quite literally.

Alice chuckled at the memory. It had been a few years back and at the time Alice had been purposefully riling Lys up.

Part of her reasoning for it was as a test to see the girl's loyalty to Patchy if her beloved Sensei was ever insulted. Patchy was notoriously bad at social interaction and had gotten oddly attached to the girl rather quickly at the time, so Alice had to make sure the Elder Witch wasn't wasting her effort or being taken advantage of.

The rest of it was just plain curiosity. Alice needed to get a genuine and honest baseline for the girl's personality, especially when under stress. The only other human Magician around at the time was Marisa and well they didn't need another of her. Gensokyo simply wouldn't survive the collateral damage and rampant thievery.

Needless to say Lys had actually passed the first test marvelously. When Alice had passive aggressively insulted Patchy the girl had immediately responded with a polite, but firm rejection of that insult. The girl, clearly trained with speaking in formal environments, then proceeded to quickly lose her temper as Alice continued the insults and backtalk.

Granted most of it was true, Patchouli had plenty of flaws, but it was heartening to see her student defend her so readily. Unfortunately in the process of administering her test, Alice had ended up enjoying it and took it perhaps a step too far.

Her own fault really. She should've controlled herself.

And as it turned out…

"Alright no more magic in the hallways or classrooms," Lysithea commented as she reached the end of her detention. She was pent up and stressed over everything. Clearly lashing out as she usually did wasn't going to make things better so it was time for a change. "I'm just going to be a bigger person and find a better way to resolve my issues."

"How could you ever be the bigger person?" Marisa asked

"Yea when you're so short?" Claude commented

Lysithea had sharp teeth once you riled her up.

Later Marisa and Claude would emerge from their detention with fresh sets of teeth marks on their arms, legs, and even forehead. When pressed about the injuries they would immediately deflect and change the subject. When Flayn was inquired she would simply chuckle and give an amused look, while Lysithea when asked would simply shrug.

The only true response ever given were the wary looks Marisa and Claude shot Lysithea whenever she bared her teeth at them, something that people didn't really make the connection with until years later.