Lying in her bed, Louise was dreaming of her home. It was about a three-day ride from the academy.
Her younger self was running around the house and hid in some bushes to avoid her pursuers.
"Louise, where are you? Come out!" Her mother was yelling for her.
In her dream, Louise was being scolded for poor results in magical studies. She had been constantly compared to her sisters both in her dream and in reality.
Below the bushes, Louise saw a pair of shoes.
"Miss Louise is completely hopeless when it comes to magic."
"I wholeheartedly agree. Why can't she be like her older sisters? The least she could do is perform one spell correctly."
Hearing more of the same gossip about her, Louise bit her lips. Soon those servants started looking around the area for her, and after a quiet escape, Louise made her way to her 'Secret Garden' otherwise known as the centralmost part of the lake.
Her Secret Garden was the only place Louise felt at ease. It was peaceful, and no one else could bother her.
Louise's younger self hopped onto a small rowboat and covered herself with the blanket inside.
As she hid from the outside world, a noble with a cloak appeared next to the boat. The noble was about 16 years old, and Louise's younger self in the dream was only 6.
"Have you been crying, Louise?" The noble's voice was smooth and charismatic. His face was covered by a hat, so she couldn't see who it was, but she knew.
He was the viscount, the noble who had inherited the lands next to hers. Hearing him, Louise felt fuzzy inside. He was the man of her dreams, quite literally.
"Is that you, Viscount?"
Louise covered her face as best she could. She didn't want him to see her crying.
"I was invited by your father to discuss the engagement."
Hearing the word engagement, Louise felt more embarrassed to the point she didn't dare lift her head.
Seeing her hiding away, the Viscount smiled. "Louise, do you dislike me?"
She gently shook her head. "No... it's just that I'm still young, and I'm not ready..."
Under the hat, Louise could see a smile and a hand was stretched to meet Louise's.
"Viscount..."
"Louise, please take my hand. The banquet is about to start."
She nodded, stood up, and reached for the Viscount's hand. Just as she was about to take hold of the hand she had always wanted to hold, a gust of wind blew off the Viscount's hat.
"Eh?!" Louise's face was full of surprise. All of a sudden she was back to her 16-year-old self, but the surprising thing was what was in front of her. "What... What are you doing!?"
The person in front of her wasn't the Viscount... it was that damn familiar, Kai.
Seeing Louise hesitate, a mischievous grin was plastered on his face. "Come on, Louise."
"That doesn't matter right now! Why are you here?"
While still dressed in the Viscount's clothes, the dream Kai stuck a finger in his ear. "Sheesh, you're annoying. Haven't you fallen for me already?"
Her eye started to twitch as her face reddened. "Don't be stupid, idiot! I was just confused, so you better stop dreaming!"
The grin on his face widened. "Aren't you the one dreaming, my Louise?"
"Who are you calling, 'your Louise'?!"
Rolling his eyes, Kai lifted Louise from the boat and put her into his arms.
"Why is it you?" Louise's frustration couldn't be contained and she started hitting Kai. Surprisingly Kai didn't get mad at all, in fact, his stupid grin only got wider.
That stupid grin on his face... it only made Louise's face get red from embarrassment. She didn't know why, but it felt nice to be held by him... That thought made her feel anxious.
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Lying in his haystack, Kai slowly opened his eyes. The twin moons were pretty full that night which lit up the room fairly well. He turned to Saito, who mumbled a bit about hamburger steak. Must be a nice dream. Next, he turned to Louise, who was moaning as if she were having a nightmare.
Kai prayed that she would stay asleep. If she woke up at this hour, it'd be hell.
Silently, Kai got up, grabbed Derflinger, and walked toward the door.
"What is it, partner? Is it time again?" Derflinger didn't hold back his voice at all.
Kai started to yell in a hushed voice. "Shut up, Derf! I'm trying not to wake anyone up!"
"I won't forgive you. My partner wakes up in the middle of the night and won't even tell me why!" After saying that, Derflinger shook his body as much as possible. Damn bratty sword.
Louise's body shot up and turned toward the noise. She started to yell at Kai. "Don't be so full of yourself! You better clean up, you moron!"
Kai froze like a deer in headlights. Was this it for him?
After a moment, Louise laid back down. She was just scolding him in her sleep. On one hand, thank god she didn't wake up, but on the other Kai felt a little disheartened... No he shouldn't feel like that!
Derflinger let out a sigh and said, "She's talking in her dreams, huh? It doesn't seem like it's music to your ears, partner."
Shaking his head rapidly, Kai grabbed Derflinger's hilt. "Shut up, dumbass!"
"You really are too much, I won't forgive you! If you want to be quiet, then I will, but don't expect me to talk to you again!"
Kai let out a strained sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He soon pointed outside.
"What about it?" Derflinger's curiosity was getting the better of him.
"You're the one that said it earlier. It's time to train. I need to get stronger, and just sitting around isn't gonna help. If I hadn't trained at all then we'd all be dead, but I still need to get stronger..."
Derflinger went silent as if understanding finally.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Kai slowly crept out of the room as to not make a sound.
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Soon arriving outside the walls of the academy, Kai found a tranquil-looking spot.
Taking a deep breath, Kai started deciding what to work on during his training.
The day after the golem fight Kai had started training much more rigorously, and with a focus on things like his energy. He had explained to Derflinger what he needed to work on.
"When I fought that golem, I realized three things." Kai stuck up one finger. "One, my energy ran out real fast." Another finger was raised. "B. My body tore itself apart from Kaioken times four." One more finger was raised. "And third of all, my overall technique was lacking. I could come up with more moves to use."
At the time, Kai had no idea how much work it would be, but in a few short days, he had already pushed himself far beyond what he had been capable of before.
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"So what's on the agenda today partner?" He always brought Derflinger when he went to train. Despite the usual vague advice and unhelpful coaching at times, he had some good ideas for his training, and it was nice to have someone to talk to.
With a hand on his chin, Kai tried to come up with something. "Well... I really need to work on my energy. It's kinda increased with physical training, but... not enough. Besides, I wanna start flying, but that's way too much of a drain on my energy."
Taking a moment, Derflinger shook in his sheathe trying to think and then he came up with an idea. "Why don't you try meditation?"
"I could try..."
Taking a deep breath in, Kai sat on the ground with his legs crossed, and he began to clear his mind of thought.
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At the same time that Kai was about to start some unknowingly grueling training, Fouquet was staring at the ceiling in a cell far away from the academy. Since she was infamous for stealing valuable items from various nobles she was placed in Genoa prison, a maximum security prison below the City of Tristainia a mere week ago.
Within the following week she would be charged for her crimes, and with how many nobles in court she had affected, she would get lucky if she were exiled.
She had thought of escaping, but seeing as there was nothing in her cell other than a crappy bed and a table, she gave up that thought.
An idea popped up in her head about turning the walls from iron into dirt using magic, and she knew she was starting to get desperate. Everyone knew that magicians were useless without their wands. Even if she had her wand, it wouldn't do anything here. The walls were enchanted to resist any kind of magic.
Fouquet started to grumble to herself. "It's really rude of them to lock up a defenseless woman like myself here." She let out a long sigh before her mind wandered to those who apprehended her. That boy in blue... he was quite strong and agile, and he knew how to use the Staff of Destruction... That in of itself raises many questions, but the tailed boy... He was far too strong for a human. Who exactly are they? Then again, what does it matter to me?
"Time to sleep..." Fouquet closed her eyes and lay down. The closest thing to entertainment in her cell was the dreams she had while she was asleep.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she just as quickly opened them. Someone was walking down to her cell. She heard odd noises that sounded like the spurs on a boot. It couldn't be the warden, he didn't have spurs on his boots.
Fouquet was on edge.
A person wearing a cloak appeared next to her cell, his face couldn't be seen as it was covered by a white mask. Judging by the wand under his cloak, he was a mage.
Fouquet scornfully exclaimed, "I'm surprised to see a visitor in the middle of the night!"
The man in the mask didn't reply and only gave Fouquet a cold stare.
On instinct alone, Fouquet knew that this man was meant to kill her. Some nobles she had stolen from probably sent an assassin before the courts could do anything.
Thinking quickly, Fouquet knew she wouldn't be any real threat without her wand, but she did know how to fight dirty. If she could lure the mystery man inside, she could go down fighting.
Just then, the man spoke. "Are you Fouquet the Crumbling Earth?" His voice sounded strong.
"I'm not sure who gave me that nickname, but yes, I am Fouquet the Crumbling Earth."
The man raised both of his hands to show he meant no harm.
"I have something that I'd like to tell you."
"And that would be?" Fouquet was rather surprised. "Don't tell me that you're going to speak in my defense."
"I'd be happy to speak in your defense, my dear Mathilda of Saxe-Gotha."
Fouquet's face instantly paled. There shouldn't be a single person in the world that knows that name.
"Who are you?"
The cloaked man didn't answer her. "Mathilda, do you wish to serve Albion again?"
"Never! I will never serve those who killed my father and took my home!"
"Don't be mistaken, no one is asking you to serve the Albion royal family. Soon, they'll be overthrown."
"What?"
"A revolution is taking place. We're going to overthrow the weak and powerless Imperial family, and succeeding them will be nobles like ourselves."
"But, aren't you a part of Tristain's nobility? How does Albion's revolution involve you?"
"I am a part of a group of nobles worried about Halkeginia's future. We wish to unify Halkeginia and reclaim the holy land that Founder Brimir had once set foot on."
Fouquet smirked. "Please stop talking nonsense. If that truly is the case, then why do you need me? I'm just a prisoner."
"We need skilled mages now more than ever. Will you lend us your help, Fouquet the Crumbling Earth?"
Fouquet dismissively waved her hand. "Please stop dreaming... How would you even get your holy land back from the all-powerful elves?"
For hundreds of years, the holy land had been in the elves' hands living east of Halkeginia. Every time humans had attempted a crusade, they had always failed miserably. It was even rumored that a single elf could take out a crusade by themself.
The man took out his wand. "I'll give you a choice, Fouquet the Crumbling Earth."
"Let's hear it."
"Either you help us or..."
Fouquet finished his sentence for him. "Or I'll be killed on the spot? Am I right?"
The man nodded. "Since you know our secret, I cannot let you live."
Fouquet let out a chuckle. "I never really had a choice... Let me be a part of your little group then. I hate people who don't know how to give orders."
"Let's go then."
Fouquet asked a simple question before they left. "What's the name of your group?"
The man took out a key from his cloak, unlocked Fouquet's cell, and answered, "Reconquista."