A long time ago, I had the idea of redesigning the uniforms of the Magic Knight squads for the (many) next gen ocs that me and my friends have. I thought it would be fun for the squads to each have a unique article of clothing for the squads' uniforms, to make each group a little more unique beyond their colors.
With the help of my beloved friend Steph ( @cringeyvanillamilk ), that idea has now come to fruition! I commissioned her for all the art you are to see.
And modeling the redesigned uniforms are mine and my friends' next gen ocs.
Representing the Golden Dawn is @lyranova's oc, Alistar Vangeance.
For the Black Bulls is @eme-eleff's oc, Hikari Yami.
Wearing the Crimson Lion King's uniform is @thoughtfullyrainynightmare's oc, Leonidas Vermillion.
From my own collection of ocs and representing the Blue Rose Knights is Dawn Faust.
The representative for the Aqua Deers is also my oc, Merel Faust.
The Silver Eagle's uniform is worn by @koneko-pi's oc, Avalinia Silva.
Representing the Coral Peacocks is @sailor-muno's oc, Bellini Fortuna.
Showing off for the Green Praying Mantises is @faewraithsworld's oc, Sullivan Vixen.
And the model for the Purple Orcas is another of @/faewraithsworld's ocs, Zoisite Ideale.
The CLK and GPM's uniforms have different versions that can be worn by the squad members. As seen below.
Thank you to Steph for taking my commission. And thank you to all my lovely friends for allowing me to turn your next gens into some gorgeous models!
Further notes about the uniforms below the cut.
Golden Dawn: they wear full body coats that are meant to be worn open. Squad members can have tassels added to their coats so they can be tied close if they so choose.
Black Bulls: they're not wearing leather jackets. It's standard fabric, that's all. Jacket length is somewhat adjustable though longer jackets are avoided to steer clear of having the same silhouette as the Golden Dawn.
Crimson Lion Kings: the sashes are sewn so that squad members don't have to wrap the fabric over their shoulder and around their waist every time they don their uniform.
Blue Rose Knights: it's a short cape already attached to a shirt. You'd just put it on like a regular shirt and hope that you don't get the cape in your face as you put it on.
Aqua Deer: it's a scarf, plain and simple. The ends of the scarf are to be a clean cut.
Silver Eagles: this squad retains the original form that a majority of the squad robes have in canon, a short mantle with an long cape attached. For the next gen's version, the fluff of the mantle was made a smaller component so that the feathers can be the main focus, instead of being mostly equal parts fluff and feather.
Coral Peacocks: a waist sash with the end of the fabric being shaped to resemble the tail feathers of a peacock.
Green Praying Mantises: arm sleeves that can just cover the forearms or cover the upper arms too. There's also a version with a slit in the sleeves in case there are squad members who don't want to wear the form fitting sleeves.
Purple Orcas: a vest with pointed hems reminiscent of the triangular shape of the squad robe worn by the previous generation. There are buttons on the vest so they can be worn open or closed to a squad member's preferences. (And most members tend to wear a shirt under the vest. Zoisite only wears his uniform this way because he can.)
The Beasts in the Shadows Chapter 4: Don't Let it Get to You
Summary: There are things about Cassandra that aren't sitting right with some of the Black Bulls. But now isn't the time to bring it up, especially to the girl herself.
Genre: general
Word count: ~4600
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
..........
Two sets of footsteps slowly echoed through the hall of the Black Bull hideout. Yami had his hands shoved into his pockets as he walked. Nacht’s whole figure was hidden under the full body cloak he wore.
“Oi Nacht…”
Captain and vice captain glanced at each other through the corners of their eyes.
“Think you can handle taking care of that girl?”
Nacht looked straight ahead of him.
“It should be fine. She’s only a child after all.”
Yami clicked his tongue and smiled in amusement. “Don’t underestimate little brats. I’ll even bet you were a real headache for your folks.”
“Admittedly, you’re not off base.”
Yami chuckled and patted Nacht’s back, to which Nacht smacked Yami’s tricep. Their jovial air quickly faded however.
“What’re you thinking, Nacht?” Yami’s tone was low, careful in fact.
Yami watched Nacht’s expression tense up ever so slightly. His jaw tightened without his face changing in an obvious way. His eyes, the way they usually stared ahead and past things, focused and gave off a cold gleam. Even the faint forward tilt of Nacht’s head didn’t escape Yami’s perceptive gaze.
“That child seems to have an above average amount of mana for her age and status,” Nacht stated. In any other instance, that would’ve been a neutral statement of fact. But Yami heard the implied “and that’s suspicious” in his friend’s voice.
“So you noticed that too. Good. That means I’m not going crazy,” Yami laughed. Tried to at least.
“That’s not all, Yami.”
“Oh?” Yami had a good idea what Nacht had on his mind. He was sure he’d noticed the same thing about the child.
“The way she looked at us was far too aware, as if she wasn’t just looking but observing us intentionally,” Nacht said, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. He was probably picturing Cassandra in his mind’s eye at that very moment.
“Yeah. I didn’t miss it and no doubt Jo noticed it too,” said Yami.
Those mismatched eyes had something to them. Cassandra was young and should’ve been tired, either from waking up or catching something in last night’s rain. However, her gaze had been clear, sharp. What did that girl see? Or what was she looking for from the three adults?
Or maybe Yami was overthinking, which normally wasn’t his style.
Suddenly, Nacht stopped walking. Yami, likewise, ceased in his stride and turned to Nacht.
“I believe we ought to be wary of that child.”
Yami snorted through his nose then replied, “No need to be any more careful with her than you’d need to be around any other kid. You and Jo should be able to handle dressing, feeding, and playing with a little girl. Heck, Jo could probably handle it on her own.”
Nacht hummed, discontent showing on his face.
“Yami, I believe we need to exercise some amount of caution,” he said. His cloak moved around him, and by his posture Yami could tell Nacht had crossed his arms. “The girl was dropped off at our base by someone who is, for all intents and purposes, a stranger to us. We were given a backstory that we haven’t verified the truth of. You and I both have observed peculiarities regarding her present state. And yet we, Josele in specific, are expected to care for her?”
Yami looked Nacht over. All that talk and painting of a suspicious picture that Nacht did made one thing clear to Yami. If he had to guess, the annoyed disbelief he felt towards Nacht at that moment was what Nacht often felt dealing with the rest of the Black Bulls. Not that Yami could ever tell Nacht that without offending his friend.
Returning his thoughts to the discussion at hand, Yami prepared himself to reply. He took a deep breath, his shoulders rising with the action, then exhaled and let go of his tension.
“Dude, I think you might be jealous.”
Nacht blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Yami stepped over to Nacht and clapped his friend on the shoulder. He pulled his friend along so they were walking again.
“Don’t deny it. You’re worried about Josele giving more attention to Cass than you while the kid’s with us,” Yami said. “C’mon man, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Josele cares for a lot of people but you’re her one and only husband. Which Morgen can pout about in heaven, poor guy.” He let out a chuckle imagining Morgen smiling with tears in his eyes, happy for Nacht but jealous at the same time.
“Yami! Do you really have to—?!”
The spark of irritation in Nacht made him elbow Yami’s torso. But Yami, with his sturdy build, took the measly blow like a champ. He fully slung his arm around Nacht’s shoulders and gave him a little shake.
“‘Sides, Cass isn’t gonna be around forever,” Yami went on, intentionally ignoring Nacht’s lashing out. “Though, it’s as good a time as any to address this issue. Y’know… Before you and Jo have kids of your own.”
“Y-Yami…” The flush that came to Nacht’s face was either from embarrassment or anger. “It isn’t…” Nacht shut his eyes tight and shook his head. It seemed he’d decided against saying what was on his mind.
Not that Yami was going to think about it anymore. He and Nacht had reached the mess hall.
The rest of the Black Bulls were already eating and chatting with gusto. Everyone greeted Yami and Nacht warmly between bites of food or sips of their chosen drinks. Yami immediately got to stacking his plate with whatever food was still available. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Nacht filling not one, not two, but three plates of food. One of the plates had two slices of toast with different jams, along with other breakfast items, on it.
He really can’t hide how soft he is… Yami thought, hiding his smile behind his mug of coffee.
Yami ate for a bit to wake himself up more. After a little while, he rose to his feet.
“Listen up everyone!” Yami called out. He took a second to scan the squad and make sure he had everyone’s attention. “I need you all on the same page.” All he had to do was repeat the information Josele had given him. The people who’d been present that night corroborated the information. For good measure, Yami added, “Keep your lips tight about her family. No need to make the kid face such a nasty truth so soon.” It’s even worse for her, surrounded by strangers. “Understood?”
“Yes sir!”
“Got it, captain!”
Everyone continued their morning from there. When they had their fill of breakfast, they went on their way. Some left by themselves. Others went off in small groups. Yami looked forward to hearing what they got up to for the day, whether it be a mission or a personal errand, because his squad knew how to turn anything into an adventure.
.....
Josele glanced down at Cassandra for what might’ve been the fiftieth time since they left the baths.
Cassandra fiddled with her new romper as she walked. She crumpled and stretched a part of the fabric at her stomach between her hands. Whatever face she had while examining the material was partially obscured by her hair which was an unbrushed mess, in particular her bangs fell over her forehead and eyes.
After Cassandra was dried off and dressed, Josele tried to brush her hair. However, Cassandra stubbornly refused to let Josele do it. She put her arms over her head to keep Josele from styling her hair.
She’s probably trying to hide that metal I felt on her head earlier. Josele was able to conclude with ease. There was more to the situation though. But why is it there? Why is she hiding it? What is it for?
“It’s really nice fabric,” Cassandra said, taking Josele out of her thoughts. “Thank you.” The smile she gave Josele was small but warm.
No use asking those things now. Josele mirrored Cassandra’s smile and said. “You’re welcome.”
They reached the mess hall. Most of the squad had already left, with Yami, Nacht, Charmy, Asta, Luck, and Mallory as the only ones remaining at the table.
With a smile, Josele greeted the group, “Good morning, everyone.”
Yami tilted his head up for a second as a silent greeting while the others at the table responded vocally.
“Cassandra, these are some of the Black Bulls,” Josele said as she guided the girl to the table. “Here we have Mallory, Charmy, Luck, and Asta. Everyone, this is Cassandra, Cass for short.”
The ladies and Asta each waved to Cassandra. When Asta moved to greet Cassandra, his right shoulder twitched before he waved with his left arm instead. Luck, though, quietly nodded to Cassandra and his eyes showed a great deal of focus within.
It was nothing alarming, merely odd. Luck wasn’t the type to be mindful of children more than necessary after all.
Does he sense something about her too? Josele set the thought aside to consider later. For now, Cassandra. Josele put a hand to Cassandra’s back. “I hope you don’t mind eating with so many people.”
“It’s okay. I have lots of older siblings,” Cassandra answered. Her eyes shifted to Mallory. “I like that we have the same hair.”
That made Mallory’s expression change to a grin when Cassandra had reached out to her.
“We do, don’t we? What a fun coincidence, huh?”
“Cow-wince-uh…? What’s that?”
“That’s easy. A coincidence is—!” Mallory’s eyes widened for a moment. “Uh… How do I put it to make sense?” She poked her temple, as if to stimulate her brain into coming up with an answer. “It’s when two things happen… At the same time. And… And… They’re not connected but also kind of are.” Mallory said the last part quickly, almost stumbling over her words.
“I…” Cassandra blinked and her face scrunched up. “I think I get it…?”
“That’s good,” Mallory replied, her laugh and smile sheepish at the moment.
“Well don’t just stand there,” Yami said. “Food’s waiting for you two so dig in.” With his thumb, he gestured to where food for two was set out next to where Nacht sat.
“I think Yami is right. Let’s take a seat, Cass.”
With a little nod, Cassandra followed Josele to the table. Josele helped Cassandra onto the bench, right next to Nacht. Cassandra raised herself on her knees to be tall enough for the table. Josele sat on the other side of Cassandra and pulled the plate with toast closer to the table’s edge for the girl.
Cassandra’s eyes immediately landed on the toast. One was slathered in orange marmalade and the other, grape jam. Cassandra picked up the marmalade toast and bit into it. She let out a high-pitched hum and smiled while chewing.
Over Cassandra’s head, Josele and Nacht’s gazes met. Nacht pointed to Cassandra’s hair to which Josele gave a tight-lipped smile and shrugged her shoulders.
At the same time, the others turned their attention to Cassandra.
“Isn’t the food real yummy, Cass?” Asta asked.
The sudden question made Cassandra jolt but she quickly recovered.
“Mhm. I’m happy Mr. Faust picked the orange jam. Thank you,” she answered before scarfing down more of the toast.
Nacht glanced in Cassandra direction. “… You’re welcome.”
That exchange, as short as it was, made Josele raise a metaphorical eyebrow.
“So you like the marmalade, la?” Charmy asked. “You have good taste. I went to a shop that specializes in making fruit preserves like that.”
“Charmy knows food well so look forward to lots of amazing food while you’re here,” added Mallory.
“Mm’kay.” Cassandra finished the marmalade toast before moving on to the slice with the grape jam.
Josele ate with a smile on her face seeing the way Cassandra’s tension slowly gave way thanks to the Black Bulls’ friendliness. It made her think of herself and Nacht, only loosely though. If the Bulls could get the two of them to open up—especially with her own extreme circumstances—Josele was certain they would be able to make Cassandra feel comfortable in a short time.
While Josele was still in the middle of eating, Luck stood from his seat.
“Alright! I’ll be off now!” He announced. He took his used dishes and strode off to the kitchen to drop off his plate and silverware. As he went, he said over his shoulder, “I’m gonna visit the other squads and see if they want to train with me!”
No lie but… Josele tilted her head. What exactly is on his mind? It has to do with Cassandra, I know that much, but what?
“Have fun with that,” Yami called after Luck.
A tug on her sleeve drew Josele’s attention to Cassandra. The girl pouted her lips, smudged with jam, and squinted in a look of confusion.
“Is training fun?”
“To Luck, it is. He likes the thrill of battle and training is like a pretend battle,” Josele explained. Cassandra’s face scrunched up further. “It’s okay if you don’t understand right away.”
Cassandra let out a huff. She moved to resume eating but Josele stopped her.
“Hold on.” Josele touched a napkin to Cassandra’s mouth and wiped away the jam. “There. Try to be a little more careful now.”
Josele felt Nacht’s gaze on her. Glancing up, she saw a gloom in his eyes. She smiled but Nacht didn’t reciprocate, just turned back to his meal.
Everyone finished their breakfast not long after Luck left. Yami, Asta, Nacht, and Charmy gathered the used tableware and took it to the kitchen. For the most part, at least, as Cassandra insisted on carrying her plate and utensils. While those five walked away, Josele pulled Mallory aside, taking her to the door of the mess hall.
“Could I ask you to play with Cassandra for a little bit?” Josele spoke more quietly. “Me and Nacht need to discuss things about Cass and how we’ll take care of her. It shouldn’t take too long though.”
“Not a problem, Sele,” Mallory replied with a nod, her hair bouncing with the motion. “You can totally count on me.”
“Don’t get too attached though. She may look like you but she’s mine and Nacht’s ward.”
“Darn, I was hoping for a little sister!”
Josele and Mallory shared a laugh between themselves.
Only a moment later, Nacht and Cassandra approached the women, having returned from the kitchen. Josele greeted Cassandra and smiled in her direction. Cassandra smiled and nodded in reply then took Mallory’s hand without hesitation.
“Can we draw together, Miss Mallory?” Cassandra asked, tugging on Mallory’s arm.
Josele blinked.
“We sure can, cutie!” Mallory gave her bubbly reply.
“… My name is Cassandra.”
Mallory twitched before laughing it away. “I meant that as a sorta nickname. Sorry. Did you want me to call you Cass?”
“Mhm.”
“Cass it is! Now then, I know where we can borrow some drawing supplies,” said Mallory as she guided Cassandra out the door.
Maybe it was because of their interaction during breakfast that Cassandra had gone with Mallory so easily. But the way Cassandra went felt too seamless.
“Josele?”
She faced Nacht, seeing his brows furrowed at her. In a moment of silence, their hands found each other. They started walking with the base’s common room as their destination. Josele felt the tight grip Nacht had on her hand but she sensed the feeling behind it was anxiety and not affection.
“I think we both have things to say,” Josele knew she had to be straightforward, otherwise Nacht might dance around the issue the way he usually did. “What exactly is bothering you, Nacht?”
For a few paces, Nacht didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, then answered, “Her behavior isn’t sitting right with me. She was wary upon waking but barely an hour later she’s at ease with us.”
“True. But that’s how some people are,” Josele remarked and gave a shrug. “And as a child, I think that shows more. We should be happy that she’s taken to us this quickly.”
“Should we really?” Nacht didn’t hide his skepticism on his face or in his voice.
“If not happy, let’s be relieved at least,” Josele countered softly before squeezing Nacht’s hand. “It’s not something I think we should worry about over other things.”
“You see something wrong with her awareness too, don’t you?” Nacht’s tone pressed Josele for an answer.
She wasn’t happy to reply but she still did it readily.
“Not wrong,” Josele corrected. “Just odd. I mean, she is only five. Also…” If they were going to have a discussion, she might as well get everything off her mind. “Luck has had some weird reactions around her. Like he’s trying to size her up.”
“Huh?” Nacht raised an eyebrow comically high. “I certainly hope he’s not debating fighting a literal child.”
Josele hummed and shook her head. “That’s not what I got from him. It was more like…” Subconsciously, Josele’s free hand grasped at the air. “It was almost like he was trying to make sense of her?”
Saying it out loud made it make less sense to Josele. All her observations created more questions rather than answers which wasn’t a desirable situation. When she looked at Nacht, he was certainly of the same mind, though irritation was mixed with his confusion.
“Just what have we been forced to deal with?” grumbled Nacht as he clenched his jaw.
His negative reaction was nothing new but it still left Josele saddened. She didn’t expect Nacht to become an optimist overnight but Nacht struggled to even be neutral about things that happened in life.
“Nacht.” Josele tugged on Nacht’s arm, making him turn to face her head on. She raised her hands to cup his face. “Let’s focus on doing what we can for Cassandra right now.”
Nacht’s eyes flickered, a bitterness within them making his gaze feel cold for that moment.
“Are we just going to ignore the oddness around the girl?”
“Of course not.” After saying that, Josele pulled Nacht’s face closer. “Even if I didn’t find things weird, I’d want to look into it just for your sake. We’ll get to it later.”
There were a few seconds of silence. Nacht closed his eyes and seemed to think on what Josele said for a moment.
“… Alright then.”
Nacht took Josele’s hand in his own again and they resumed their walk. The tension that had wound up inside Nacht before was now released, most evident in the gentle hold he had on Josele’s hand.
“So what are we going to do about Cassandra?” asked Nacht.
“First off, I can’t take any missions since Cass was entrusted to me specifically.”
Nacht nodded. “That’s a simple matter. I’ll make sure to note you as ‘on temporary leave’ in records until Cassandra is retrieved.”
“I also expect you to take some time off to help,” Josele added, grinning up at Nacht. Her statement made Nacht’s fingers twitch. “Yami, Cylla, and Finral can handle paperwork on their own. And Cass has taken to you, so it’d be mean to deprive her of your presence.”
“I’d rather not…” Nacht’s voice trailed off. “I’m not really…” Again he stopped himself. “I don’t think I’d do well.”
“But you’re a fast learner.”
“Allow me to point out that mathematics or magical theory are quite different from childcare,” Nacht grumbled through gritted teeth. “I couldn’t possibly—”
Josele squeezed Nacht’s hand.
“We’ll face it together,” she stated, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did. Josele was sure Nacht was able to see one of her earrings, the jewelry he’d given in place of a wedding band. “Well?”
Nacht’s gaze stayed on Josele if only for a few seconds. Then, he sighed and smiled.
“Babysitting a literal child does sound preferable to babysitting adults with childish behavior,” he joked with a snide face.
Josele rolled her eyes hearing Nacht ridicule the Black Bulls once again. The comment wasn’t as harsh as they had been so many months ago, in fact it was rather toothless in comparison. But that didn’t mean Josele wanted to hear Nacht’s ribbing at the moment.
“I think if you went to a daycare you’d reverse your opinion.”
“Then I’ll never go to one and I won’t have to change my mind.”
“So you don’t deny that your mind could be changed?”
Josele and Nacht looked at each other. The amused smile Nacht sported looked the way Josele’s face felt.
But in a blink, Nacht’s expression was serious again.
“Let’s get back to talking about Cassandra.”
“Mhm. Since we’re in charge of her, I’d like her to stay at our home but that’s not possible right now.”
After the battle in Spade, Josele and Nacht had begun repairing the old Faust Manor to live in. It had been a low priority, though, making progress slow. It was only after getting married that they worked more earnestly and even then, only their bedroom, a room for Josele to use for crafting, an office space for Nacht, and the kitchen had been fixed.
“We could get a room ready in four days, maybe three if we rushed it,” Nacht stated, touching his chin while in thought. “The devils could empty and clean a room, then we could have the basics set up.”
“Yeah, that works.”
Asking Nacht’s contracted devils to perform menial labor was an underutilization of their power, but Josele felt the four would prefer doing basic chores over lingering in Nacht’s shadow all day everyday. Her mind automatically came up with Gimodelo, Plumede, Walgner, and Slotos dusting and mopping a room while in their miniature forms when it would’ve been more logical for them to work in their true forms. The thought of four creatures, each small enough to fit in her hands, hard at work made Josele bite down on her smile until she laughed instead.
“Now what?” Nacht quirked up a brow.
“Just thinking about how cute the devils are,” Josele admitted, laughing into her free hand.
When Josele said that, Nacht winced, as if pained by something.
“The damned peanut gallery…”
A sigh passed Josele’s lips.
“Don’t be too noisy, you four,” Josele said, glancing down at Nacht’s shadow as she did. “Now… Where were we? What else to do for Cass?”
“The first things that come to mind are clothes and toys,” was Nacht’s immediate reply. “However, that begs the question of overstepping. We are merely temporary caretakers after all.”
Josele nodded as she saw where Nacht was coming from with his remark.
They had to care for Cassandra without overstepping or underperforming. Given how uncertain the length of Cassandra’s stay would be, though, it was no easy task to predict how much they’d need to put into caring for her.
“What to do…?”
.....
It didn’t take long for Mallory to recognize that Cassandra was an odd kid.
When they reached the hallway for the ladies’ bedrooms and Cassandra saw the unconcealed traps, the girl didn’t react with fear. Instead, she walked up to one and asked how it worked to which Mallory explained. The two went back and forth: Cassandra asking about a trap and Mallory explaining the mechanisms.
That went on until they reached Acylla’s bedroom. There they picked out some art supplies from Acylla’s cabinet, leaving a note to apologize for any mess they left behind. Then they set themselves up in Mallory’s room. Cassandra laid on her belly on the floor while Mallory sat with her leg crossed and her back against her bed.
Cassandra worked quietly. The only sound she made was the tapping of colored pencils on the floor whenever she switched colors.
Mallory herself didn’t draw. She didn’t have a talent for it the way someone like Yami nor could she enjoy it casually the way Acylla did. At best, Mallory doodled hearts, stars, and lazy coils on the paper and wrote little memos to herself.
After a while, Mallory glanced over to see what the girl had drawn.
Cassandra had drawn some colorful blobs. One blob was tanned with brown drawn around it. Another was a white circle with a thick black line coming off it. Mallory smiled to herself, immediately knowing the blobs were meant to be Josele and Nacht. There was a red, wavy blob that made Mallory think of herself. A sandy blob was topped by two black circles: Charmy. Yellow, gray, and black spiky shapes were Luck, Asta, and Yami.
Mallory then noticed what was drawn at the center of the page. A brown, blocky shape; a building with an irregular but strikingly familiar silhouette.
Wait a minute… Mallory blinked to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. That’s the hideout! Wasn’t she asleep when she arrived? When did she—?!
Mallory pinched her arm to shock her system.
Wait! There’s nothing wrong here. We went to Acy’s room earlier and she had a photo of the base from a few years back on her desk. Cass must’ve seen that, Mallory reasoned with herself, trying not to throw herself into a panic. Right. Nothing’s wrong here! I’m just being weird!
Shaking her head, Mallory went back to her own paper. She made a note of welcoming Finral home with a kiss. She doodled a few hearts around Finral’s name and giggled to herself, thinking that Finral has probably done something similar with her name. She considered writing letters to her sisters, to Finesse, to Langris. After a moment’s thought, Mallory crossed out Langris’s name.
“Miss Mallory.” Cassandra tugged on Mallory’s clothes. “I finished. Wanna look at it?”
“Hm?” Mallory smiled at Cassandra. “Sure! I’d love to!”
“Here it is!” Cassandra lifted her drawing.
A crude drawing of the Black Bulls’ base surrounded by many colorful blobs. There were the ones Cassandra had drawn earlier but also some new ones. A sand colored circle was wrapped in pink squiggles and topped by a red triangle. A black semi-circle with red spikes coming out of it. Next to it was a spot of yellow waves like a certain blonde’s hair. A black line sandwiched by grey. Two gray lines flowing off a white circle.
Hold on a second… Mallory clamped her jaw shut. Vanessa… Zora… Acylla… Magna… Noelle…
There were more blobs whose colors and details matched the other Bulls too. Nearly two dozen people depicted by Cassandra’s clumsy art. Most of whom she shouldn’t have known about.
When did she…? Maybe Josele and Cass ran into a few of them as they left the building. A few… It couldn’t have been all of them. Mallory felt a lump in her throat. It’s just a drawing, right?
“Does it look okay?” Cassandra asked, pulling Mallory out of her thoughts.
“It’s… really cute.” Mallory did her best to take a deep but quiet breath. “I like how colorful it is.”
Cassandra smiled and bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Can I have another paper? There’s more I want to draw.”
“Sure, Cass,” Mallory said, then handed the girl two more sheets. When Cassandra had turned away, Mallory pressed two fingers to her temple. What am I doing? Being suspicious of a kid? But what she drew… Something’s up. Should I tell Josele? Nacht? Maybe Yami?
When Mallory looked back at Cassandra, the girl was drawing a grassy field and flowers, something more typical for a kid’s drawing.
Mallory chewed on her lip. She had to hope she was only overthinking the situation and projecting suspicions after the weirdness from when Halloak dropped Cassandra off. She really wanted to believe that nothing was wrong.
I hope this doesn’t cause trouble for Sele and Nacht, Mallory thought as she forced her pencil to move. I guess if something does happen… The Bulls will be there for them at least. Try as she might, Mallory knew the smile that came to her face wasn’t wholehearted.
Summary: With the devils in Spade defeated, it's expected for Asta's trial to finally come to a close. However, the Magic Parliament never summons him. In search for answers, Asta meets someone surprising.
Genre: general
Word count: ~1600
..........
The battle in Spade Kingdom had been won.
The Zogratis family had been defeated. The king of devils himself, Lucifero, was bested in battle by one boy and one devil without any magic.
For the Black Bulls, with the threat of devils in Spade taken care of, they were filled with relief. There was the hope that Asta, their magicless boy, would see the trial for his use of a devil's power end with an innocent verdict. They looked forward to their friend's exile from the Clover Kingdom coming to a close.
However, in the coming days, Asta received no summons from the Magic Parliament. No word from Damnatio Kira, the Parliament’s chairman.
At first, Yami laughed it off, saying, "Poor guy is probably upset that he can't throw Asta in jail!"
The silence went on longer though.
"Are the royal houses really involved with aiding Heart and Spade right now?" Finral asked, trying to find reason. "Maybe Damnatio is busy with that?"
"That can't be. Damnatio is solely involved with the Magic Parliament," Noelle answered, having the insight to answer that.
Days became weeks.
"This is one hell of a tantrum over the trial," commented Magna.
"What if he's refusing to end the trial to not let Asta back?" The question Vanessa posed stuck in her teammates' minds.
The Black Bulls' confusion turned to annoyance and anger.
"Does that bastard really think we forgot about the trial?!"
"We oughta bust down his door and demand that innocent verdict!"
"Guys, that'll get me in more trouble!" Asta yelled to try calming down his friends.
When the wait had reached a month's length, Asta finally decided it was time to get to the bottom of the situation. Asta went to the Magic Parliament directly.
"Lord Damnatio?" the secretary at the Parliament's front desk asked. "The last I heard, he went to the Magic Archives to look into the files that the kingdom has on devils. But he hasn't been seen since."
"But what about my trial?" Asta pressed, leaning on the desk. "Am I really expected to just continue being exiled after all I've done?"
The secretary shook his head. "You're not the only one frustrated by the lack of conclusion," he said. "The rest of the Parliament is eager to close your case. Most of the representatives are on your side, 9-to-1 actually, and wish to grant an innocent verdict. But without Damnatio, we need a temporary chairman to be appointed and briefed on the trial before we can move forward. I'm sorry, Asta, truly."
Asta backed up and sighed. "It's not your fault. But thanks for telling me."
"This might be a bit invasive, but perhaps if you went to House Kira, Lord Damnatio's family might have insight on his whereabouts."
"Alright then. Thanks." Asta replied with a nod.
So Asta went to the royal palace, the wing specific to House Kira. The servants let him in without question and even guided him to a sitting room to wait with tea and biscuits as refreshments.
Man, the workers here are so nice! I feel bad for them, having to work with someone as grumpy as Damnatio. Asta sighed before taking a sip of tea. If he was perfectly honest, he still wasn't used to the taste of such a fancy drink. But he'd drink, if only to try and understand the flavor better. ... Still not getting it.
Asta didn't know long he'd waited - and that was the least of his concerns since he'd already waited a month - but eventually, the sitting room doors were opened by a woman with curly, strawberry blond hair and freckles across her face. She wore a rather simple blouse and ankle-length skirt. She didn't carry the same air as nobles like Fuegoleon or Damnatio or even Noelle. She seemed… simpler.
"Hello there," the woman greeted, "you must be Asta of Hage."
"I am, ma'am!"
"Nice to meet you." She curtsied then joined Asta at the coffee table. Her being within arm’s length made it clear to Asta how tired she was. Her skin seemed a bit pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. "I'm Melia Kira, Damnatio's wife."
“Hello, nice to meet you,” Asta replied while rising to his feet. “I’m sorry to bother y—”
“No, no. You’re not being a bother at all,” Melia interrupted as she shook her head. “In fact, it’s good that you’re here.” She touched Asta’s shoulder. “My husband caused you and your friends trouble. And right when he should be making things right, he vanished. You have my deepest apologies for everything you’ve gone through because of Damnatio.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Asta said in reassurance. “Your husband was doing his job. Sure he could’ve been nicer about it—”
Melia laughed, but it came out strained. “He’s that way most of the time…”
“I’ll bet.” Asta awkwardly laughed it off. “Anyways, for Damnatio, he was doing his best to protect the kingdom. As a Magic Knight, I can’t complain about something like that.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Asta.” Melia took a breath and her eyes began to water. “The thing about Damnatio is just… I don’t even know why he left. He has duties and no matter how much he disagrees with the usage of Forbidden Magic, he can’t refuse an innocent verdict and recognize your heroism. Again, I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Asta gave Melia a warm smile.
Melia smiled back. Or tried to. Her eyes started to water and she hastily pulled out a handkerchief to dab the tears away.
“Sorry… I’m sorry. I understand that you might not think well of Damnatio but he is my husband and I…”
Asta took Melia’s hand off his shoulder and held it between both of his.
“It’s okay, miss.” Asta gave Melia’s hand a faint squeeze. “He’s your family and you’re probably missing him.”
“Missing it doesn’t even begin to describe it…” the woman whimpered. “It feels like all I can do at this point is wish for Damnatio to finally come home. For this nightmare where he’s not here to end.” Melia looked Asta directly in the eyes. “Asta, if during your Magic Knight duties, you find out anything about my husband—”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
“How could my husband have ever hated someone as wonderful as you?” Melia let out a pained laugh.
Asta bit his tongue and shrugged at her question. There was so much Asta didn’t know about Damnatio. Melia, a soft and open-hearted woman, being Damnatio’s wife was proof of that. So it wasn’t Asta’s place to assume Damnatio’s thoughts or intentions.
“I wish I could do more for you right now, Asta,” Melia stated while wiping her tears away. “But I’m not exactly involved with the Parliament so I can’t…”
Asta shook his head and answered, “It’s no problem, Miss Melia. I already went to them and they’re on my side too.”
Melia sighed. “That’s certainly a relief.” She took her hand back from Asta and touched it to her heart. “You’re very blessed.”
“Yeah. Knowing that so many people are on my side…” Asta raised a hand and curled it into a fist as a show of determination. “It makes me believe in myself even more.”
With nothing more to discuss, Asta bid Melia goodbye and left House Kira. Even though he didn’t have much news to bring back to the Bulls, he still had an update of some sort to share.
Asta returned to the base to find Nozel and Fuegoleon there speaking with Yami.
“—we’re still very busy with captains’ duties but we’ll still try to work with the Parliament on the issue,” said Fuegoleon. “Our sway might be greater in the Magic Knights but we still—” He, and the other two men, paused and turned to Asta as he approached the trio. “Hello Asta.”
“Captain Fuegoleon. Captain Nozel.” Asta nodded to the royals. “Is this about my trial?”
“Indeed,” replied Nozel. “I hope you don’t mind us intervening in your business. But with the trial still active, it does affect your standing in the Knights and we wish for that to be rectified.”
“Still shocked that you two’re sticking your necks out this far out for Asta, and without Julius’ pushing,” Yami remarked. He pulled out a cigarette and held it out. “Light me up, King of Hardnoses?”
Fuegoleon gave the cutest shake of his head before returning his attention to Asta. “Hopefully we can resolve this in short order.”
“Thank you for all your hard work!”
“We’ll come back another day once we have a solid plan in mind,” Fuegoleon stated before he and Nozel took their leave.
Asta watched the other captains leave and thought back to what Melia said about him. That he was blessed. And he agreed. Asta had friends that got angry on his behalf. The Parliament had become sympathetic towards him. Damnatio’s wife was concerned for Asta despite also worrying about her husband’s whereabouts. And even other royals were stepping into his corner to be of aid.
Melia. There was something else about her that had Asta thinking. Her ki gave off a tired feeling but there was also something to it that felt… more alive somehow. What was that about?
…..
Melia stared out the window of her and Damnatio’s bedroom. The sunset was obscured by clouds but nonetheless a lovely sight. But she was too tired to really appreciate it.
“Damnatio… You’d better return soon. I’m not the only one who needs you.”
Here's my contribution to the Disney crossover event from @vs-redemption.
This is Disney’s Enchanted (with some plot changes) featuring Nacht x Josele (my oc) and Finral x Mallory (@sailor-muno's oc). Cameo from the ZorAcy ship (from @faewraithsworld). And not to worry I'm using my friends' ocs with permission~!
Cast
-Josele as Giselle
-Nacht as Robert
-Finral as Prince Edward
-Mallory as Nancy
-Sterling as Morgan (Robert’s daughter)
-Yuno as Pip the Chipmunk (but a more character appropriate bird here)
-Liliane Vaude as Queen Narissa
-Alecdora as Nathaniel (the queen’s lackey)
-Zora and Acylla as Phoebe and Ethan (the couple that almost gets divorced but doesn't)
Putting this under a cut because it got loooooooooooooong. Lots of little headcanon notes as well as some drabbles for scenes in narrative format (not my best prose writing but I think I would've gone insane trying to do it all in headcanon format).
..........
As with the original film, this story begins with Josele waxing poetic and singing about True Love’s Kiss. She imagines her True Love™ with pitch black hair and sparkling blue eyes.
Yuno, Josele’s little songbird friend, helps put together the statue of Josele’s True Love™.
Josele’s song attracts the attention of a troll. When it tries to take her away, she fights back.
Elsewhere in the forest, Prince Finral is returning from a diplomacy mission in another kingdom, attended by Alecdora, Queen Liliane’s henchman.
Liliane keeps sending Finral away as a foreign ambassador to keep him distracted from romance. So long as he doesn’t find a bride, she can remain on the throne.
Finral isn’t a fighter but he’s always concerned about people who might need help so he rides into the woods, following Josele’s (kinda wretched) screams.
Alecdora attempts to follow but is left behind as he’s without a horse. He can only grumble that Liliane should try to have Finral killed and not just distracted. He’s fed up with the guy too.
Finral is chasing after Josele’s voice. Josele is fighting for her life.
Josele is up in the trees, trying to smack away the troll with tree branches. Yuno is desperately pecking at the troll.
.....
Finral followed the shouts of a woman’s voice through the forest until he happened upon a troll the size of a house, reaching into the trees.
“Leave me alone already!” Finral looked up to where the voice emanated from and saw a lady with brown hair. “There’s no way I’m going anywhere with you!” She had a tree branch held in both hands and used it to smack at the troll’s fingers when it got too close to reaching her. Finral also barely made out the flittering movements of a bird flying at the troll’s hands one in a while.
“Ahem!” Finral forcibly cleared his throat then projected his voice. “Sir Troll! I know I just arrived but it’s clear to me that you’re bothering that lady. She has no interest in you so I suggest you be on your way.”
The troll didn’t look at Finral and instead just grunted and continued to reach up.
Finral groaned but went on, “If you seek the attention of a fair lady, you must do better than this. Attempt a more gentlemanly approach. Give your name and offer a small gift in greeting, like flowers or even a particularly lovely stone.”
Granted, Finral had no clue if those strategies worked. He had always wanted to attend balls and other events in search of his True Love™. But he was so busy helping his mother establish friendly relations with other lands that he never had the time for romantic socialization.
“Love isn’t something you can force. It’s something you build through mutual efforts.”
“Would you be quiet?!” the troll snapped at Finral, finally giving the prince attention.
“Ah… Well…” Finral uttered.
“Or how about you leave?!”
The lady in the trees jumped down and swung her branch down on the spot between the troll’s eyes, the weak spot of those creatures. With a pained roar, the troll held its face and ran off into the woods. Finral wished he’d been able to do more. But he couldn’t not feel glad that the monster was driven away and that the lady in the trees was safe.
Speaking of…
Finral watched the woman land on a lower branch of a tree and lean against the trunk, probably letting out a sigh of relief. He got a better look at her. Brown hair that shined like varnished wood, a fair complexion, and arms that showed more muscle than Finral had ever seen on a woman.
“Excuse me, miss! You’re alright, yes?” Finral called up to the woman.
She turned her face to Finral and his breath was taken away by the beautiful depth of her brown eyes.
“Me?” She gestured to herself. “Yes, I’m oka—”
All of a sudden, her foot slipped and she was falling to the ground. Finral spurred his horse forward. And not a moment too soon as Finral caught the woman in his arms.
For a moment, the two of them stared into each other’s eyes.
“Hello…” the lady whispered, her face now colored a rosy hue. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Prince Finral,” he managed to say despite the tenseness of his throat and the heat in his face. “And you are?”
“Josele.”
“A name that’s as lovely as you are brave.” Finral’s heart thumped in his chest. He’d never had such a reaction to a woman. Did that mean that Josele was… his True Love™? “Would you… marry me?”
“Y-yes! Yes of course!” Josele blurted out, giggles bubbling in her voice.
“Then it’s settled, we’ll be married in the morning!” Finral exclaimed with glee.
As Finral and Josele rode into the sunset, singing refrains that came to them as naturally as breathing, the little bird that had been around earlier watched them leave. The bird was Yuno, Josele’s faithful companion.
“But he doesn’t even look like the True Love™ from your dreams, Josele!” Yuno yelled while flying after them.
.....
In New York City, Nacht and his daughter Sterling are on their way home in a taxi.
Nacht brings up to Sterling that he’s going to propose to his girlfriend, Mallory Demiscura.
Sterling: Her name sounds like an evil stepmother's name.
Nacht: That’s not nice to say, Sterling. Mallory is a fine woman. And what’s more, she looks like she could actually be your mother.
Sterling: Is that why you’re thinking of marrying her?
Nacht: … Maybe.
Sterling frowns at the lame reasoning. It’s so unromantic. She wants her dad to marry someone he loves, not someone to be her mom.
As Sterling pouts and stares out the window, she spots a lady in an elaborate wedding dress climbing up a telephone pole.
Sterling hurries out of the car to investigate and Nacht of course follows.
Sterling: Aren’t you afraid of falling from there, miss?
Josele: Not to worry! I’m used to being in high places!
Nacht: So she’s a drug addict…
Sterling: Or she climbs stuff often. Jeez dad, no need to be judgy.
Nacht: Lady, I think you should get down from there! It’s not safe!
Josele: Nah, I’ll be fi— (slips and falls) WAH!
Nacht instinctively goes to catch Josele because of course. Nacht is hurt more by the collision than Josele is. Sterling’s jaw drops at how durable and muscular Josele is.
Sterling: How did you get like that, miss?
Josele: Get like what? So disheveled and dirty? Heh, well I’ve been wandering around, completely lost, all day. But I’ll be fine, I just need— (wobbles and collapses on top of Nacht again) To rest.
Nacht: Uh, well, uh… We can take you in for the night?
Sterling: (pumps her fists in victory) We’re bringing a princess home!
.....
Nacht pinched the bridge of his nose after pushing all of the rats, pigeons, and roaches out of the apartment. First a lady climbing in a wedding dress and now a vermin-led housecleaning job. Maybe he was hallucinating. He was pulled from his thoughts by Sterling tugging on his shirt.
“Do we have to wash the dishes again? Because the rats touched them?”
“Use the disposable ones for now. Please,” Nacht groaned.
“Okay.”
After Sterling left his side, Nacht noticed a sing-song voice coming from the bathroom. It had to be Josele. Nacht approached slowly, taking in the sound of Josele’s voice. Admittedly, she had a lovely voice. There was then a pang in Nacht’s heart as he remembered how Morgen used to sing.
Morgen probably would’ve loved a weirdo like her, Nacht thought with a scoff. He couldn’t help but smile though. Nacht stopped in front of the door but before he even knocked, Josele opened the door.
“Good morning,” Josele said with a grin. Such a blithe and innocent look. Like she hadn’t nearly fallen to her death—or at least a broken bone—last night. “You’re looking well, Nacht.”
“Uh…” Nacht glanced down before hurriedly locking eyes with Josele. Holy hell, she is ripped! “Morning. So uh… you…”
“The shower is absolutely lovely,” remarked Josele, glancing back into the room. “I’m used to bathing in rivers but that was a whole new experience!”
“In rivers?” Nacht repeated. Did she grow up in the wilderness or something? “Right. So look, the thing is—”
“Nacht? Who’s that?”
Nacht’s head whipped in the direction of another woman’s voice. Mallory stood a few feet away, jaw dropped and eyes wide in a look of confusion and hurt.
Mallory was there. Seeing Nacht talk with Josele. While Josele was only in a towel.
“Oh hello there! I’m Josele!” She strode up to Mallory without a second thought and began to shake the redhead’s hand. “It’s so nice to meet you! What’s your name?”
“Mallory…”
“Oh that’s a gorgeous name!”
“Thanks?” Mallory pulled back a bit. Her face twisted, looking more horrified by the millisecond. “Uh, what are you doing here?”
“I was on my way to the castle to be married—”
Nacht hurried to the women and stepped between them.
“Mallory, please listen,” Nacht started while holding Mallory’s shoulders and moving her away from Josele. “She and I, we’re not— You have to understand.”
“Understand what, Nacht? That you’ve finally decided that I’m not good enough for you?” Mallory choked out. Tears had already formed in her eyes. “I thought we were just taking it slow because of Sterling and…” Mallory quickly rubbed her eyes. “And we have our careers to worry about too! But I guess the real reason was—!”
“That’s not it at all!”
Mallory pulled away from Nacht and stormed towards the exit. “I’ll go! If she makes you happy, I won’t get in your way!”
“Are you leaving already?” Josele asked, stepping in the way of Mallory’s exit. “But you just arrived.”
The question made Mallory pause. “You don’t want me to leave?”
Josele and Mallory stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. Both seemed confused. And Nacht had to step in.
“Ladies, please, I can explain everything,” Nacht said as he got between them.
“Okay then…” Mallory nodded for a moment then looked Nacht dead in the eyes. “Explain.”
.....
Nacht explains to Mallory the situation with Josele. And she listens.
Mallory is baffled to say the least but considering Josele’s behavior, it seems to be the most believable explanation.
Nacht asks Mallory if Josele could stay with her only for Mallory to say her apartment is getting renovated and she’s already sharing a space with her three sisters.
But Mallory promises to help look for leads about how to get Josele home.
The situation still puts a strain on the relationship since Nacht will be focusing his attention on Josele until she returns to Andalasia.
Mallory is jealous of Josele’s hopeless romanticism and optimism. She was once a romantic herself but lost her spark. She ended up with Nacht because of proximity and convenience.
Nacht takes Josele to his workplace. He hands Josele over to his coworker, Secre, hoping she can help locate Josele’s home.
Meanwhile, Nacht tries to help move along the divorce proceedings for Acylla and Zora. In Nacht’s opinion, they had to split sooner rather than later.
.....
Josele approached Acylla with a wide-eyed, almost awestruck smile.
“Your eyes…” she whispered sweetly. “They’re gorgeous with that little sparkle in them. And your presence is so calm and graceful.”
“I, well…” Acylla flushed at the forward compliments being given to her. “Thank you, miss.”
“The person who holds your heart is a very lucky individual,” Josele commented as she took Acylla’s hands.
And those words made Acylla’s shy grin drop into a deep frown instantly. “He may have held it before but he dropped it like a hot potato.” The words made Josele reel back. Acylla only continued, “And believe me, I doubt he feels lucky to know me at this moment.”
“I don’t understand…” Josele whispered as she shook her head. She glanced at Zora who scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you two in love?”
“Read the room, lady,” snapped Zora. “We’re sick of each other.”
Nacht buried his face in his hands and groaned. First his personal life. And now his professional life was being torn asunder by a woman who made a dress out of his curtains before skipping away, without shame or guilt.
When he raised his head, Nacht had every intention of snapping at Josele to keep her nose out of Zora and Acylla’s business. But then he saw them, the tears in her eyes. Soft and real, truly broken up by something most people would brush off as an unfortunate but unextraordinary event. So Nacht ended up pulling Josele aside and quietly letting her know that she didn’t have to worry since the divorce was what the former couple wanted.
“But they’re losing the love of their lives, Nacht,” Josele whimpered as her tears fell. “I can’t imagine loving someone one day and then… not loving them the next…”
“That’s just how the world works,” Nacht said. He almost included an “I’m sorry.” But what did he have to be sorry for?
When Nacht glanced past Josele’s shoulder, he saw Zora staring at Acylla. Not with annoyance as he had been earlier. But rather, he looked curious, as though examining Acylla for the first time. As for Acylla, she was red-faced and avoiding Zora’s eyes.
The air between the two had changed. Nacht didn’t know how but it had…
.....
Mallory is still on her own commute to work. On the way, she spies a man in an elaborate medieval style tunic standing in front of a bus.
Finral: Be still you beast of steel! Those poor civilians in your belly don’t deserve to be eaten!
Bus Driver: (honks aggressively) GET OUTTA THE STREET!
Mallory: Oh no. That man’s gonna get himself run over. (runs over and grabs Finral out of the street)
Finral: Hey hey! Wait wait wait! I was helping those people!
Mallory: You were causing a traffic jam! (brushes Finral down because he looks like a mess) You good, man?
Finral: I am a good man, yes. Or I’d like to think so.
Mallory: Um… Yeah I don’t think you’re doing so hot, sir. (thinking) He does look hot though…
Mallory and Finral get to talking once they get some distance between themselves and the street.
Finral goes on and on about finding his “precious doe” and “other half.” But he doesn’t mention Josele by name.
Still, Mallory gets a weird feeling that Finral’s fairy tale dreamy attitude is familiar…
Alecdora runs up from out of nowhere and grabs Finral away, saying he knows where to find Finral’s love.
“Lead the way, Alecdora!” Finral exclaims as he and Alecdora run off.
“Alec-darrel? What kind of name is that?!” Mallory asks. She tries to chase them for a moment but she’s not fit to keep up.
And then, a little songbird (Yuno), lands on her shoulder and seems to glare at Alecdora.
“What’s your story, little guy?” Mallory asks sarcastically. “I’m actually thinking of chasing after Prince Charming there.”
Yuno chirps aggressively at Mallory and directs her to follow Finral. So she does!
At some point, Alecdora makes his first attempt to kill Josele with a poison apple provided by Liliane. Only to fail.
.....
“That’s how you know~!”
Josele’s melodious voice rang through the air.
“That’s how you know~!”
Came the harmonious echo of what felt like half of New York City, somehow knowing the song that Josele had begun.
Nacht had thought he was dreaming. Honestly, he’d thought that since he first met Josele. Yet sitting in an open carriage as everyone from street musicians to newlyweds performed in Central Park felt strangely real. Every smile on the people’s faces was wide and genuine. The clouds from the morning had parted and the afternoon sun made the colors around Nacht brighter.
And the brightest person there was Josele.
The song and dance had concluded. But people were lingering, mingling amongst themselves or approaching Josele as she stood within the carriage with Nacht.
Nacht blinked a few more times. But he couldn’t take his eyes off of Josele as she spoke with the people who complimented her song or thanked her for the experience. And she replied with a “no, thank you for joining” and such.
How did she manage to be so kind and genuine? Okay, Nacht knew why: fairy tale princess turned real. The question still lingered in his mind. He wondered if the kind of magic Josele exuded was something everyone had a little of, and that’s what made everything happen.
.....
With Mallory, she’s caught up with Finral who is separated from Alecdora thankfully. As they’re walking, she tries to get across that she knows where Finral’s “other half” is.
As she tries to explain, she gets a text from one of her sisters.
[Is he cheating?] The question is accompanied by a picture of Nacht and Josele, sitting in a carriage and surrounded by… a lot. [Check social media. They’re there.]
Mallory looks up what’s trending and finds pictures and videos of some chaotic flash mob. With Josele and Nacht seeming to lead it.
The doubt in Mallory’s heart starts to come back. She and Nacht had never done anything like dance or sing together, especially not in public. And yet with Josele…
.....
“Is something the matter, Miss Mallory?” Finral asked gently, breaking Mallory out of her gloom.
“Oh! Uh…” Mallory slid her phone into her purse, making her chest tight with guilt at hiding Josele’s location from Finral. But perhaps their reunion could wait an hour or two? “I’m… fine?” She shook her head. “It’s just that the man I love…” The words felt so heavy in her mouth that she trailed off and had to take a breath. “He’s not all that good at being loving.”
Finral blinked then stared wide-eyed at Mallory. “But how can that be? A fine woman such as yourself is surely easy to love. Why, I can already name several things that make you splendid!”
“L-like what?”
“Well for one, your hair! It’s the loveliest shade of red I’ve ever laid my eyes on!” Finral exclaimed with a wide grin. “I bet if you were to give a twirl, it’d fan out so beautifully that the crowd would stop and stare.”
“I don’t think I could do something like that!” Mallory squeaked, feeling herself warm up as people were already eyeing her and Finral because of his loud voice. “But, um, thanks for the compliment.”
“And I have more to give, still!” Finral quickly followed up. “Your smile. It shines as bright as the sun. Surely, that smile alone has made the day of your sweetheart.”
Mallory shrugged, not wanting to admit that she’d never seen Nacht smile. Not truly. Only ever the empty, cordial smile he used at work.
“There’s also your heart, so full of kindness. We only passed by each other this morning and yet you’ve returned to aid me.” Finral went on waxing poetic. It was incredible how genuine he sounded. Not a hint of irony to him. “Your lover, whoever he may be, should be ashamed for not treasuring you the way you should be!”
Mallory pursed her lips and nodded a little. She did want for a love that was… more. But she was never brave enough to ask that of Nacht.
Raising her head, Mallory locked eyes with Finral. His warm grin and the way his eyes looked at her with gentleness. The deepest parts of her heart wanted that.
Mallory wanted the bold and free love that Finral was offering.
It’s just that he wasn’t offering it to her…
.....
Finral breaks out into song. Let’s call it “With All Your Heart.”
I’m not writing the whole thing out (not a lyricist here), but the gist of the song is Finral explaining his belief that love should be expressed boldly and being proud of one’s love will make them happier. It’s why he’s so forward.
Finral’s song number gets the crowd going as much as “That’s How You Know” did. Mallory is in absolute awe of the literal magic in front of her eyes and excitedly runs alongside Finral as he encourages other couples to loudly proclaim their love for each other.
Yuno is following along the whole time and is picking up on the vibes with this pair.
When the song ends, a pair of doves fly up to Mallory. They give her a wreath of flowers and tickets to a ball happening later that week, addressed from Nacht.
And now she’s thinking of Nacht again and her heart hurts realizing that she’s already smitten with another man, a taken man.
Finral hears of the ball and excitedly thinks of taking Josele there before returning home.
Mallory agrees to help him get tickets. She wasn’t just going to give up the tickets for her and Nacht, but she’d at least help Josele and Finral’s love.
Alecdora finds Mallory and Finral and takes away the prince saying he has a lead on where Josele is. Mallory tries to argue that she knows but Alecdora ignores her.
Yuno comforts Mallory for a moment then chirps, as if to reassure her that he’ll get Finral back.
.....
Nacht blinked a few times, not quite believing what he was hearing.
“Can you say that again?”
“We don’t see any reason to divorce,” Zora repeated with a smile. He looked at Acylla who grinned back. “That lady from yesterday, she was so right. Acylla’s eyes have a beautiful sparkle to them. It was the first thing I noticed. I really am lucky to have fallen for her.”
“But just the other day you two were having problems,” Nacht pointed out, to which the couple snickered.
“Everyone has problems, Mr. Faust.” Acylla’s hold on Zora’s hand tightened. “But should we really allow the bad things in life to outweigh the good ones?”
Nacht raised a brow. “You’re really going to try again after a chance encounter with—”
“Have you considered that it wasn’t merely chance?” Acylla posed. “Maybe we were meant to meet that lady and she would remind us of what really mattered.”
“Like how sweet you are when I’m not bothering you,” Zora joked. The couple laughed again before sharing a brief kiss. “Yeah, I could get used to this all over again.”
Nacht fell silent. His mouth snapped shut as he had nothing to say.
There it was again. That strange magic that Josele’s presence exuded. At work again in Nacht’s life.
Nacht guided Acylla and Zora out of the office while reassuring them that Josele would hear of their gratitude towards her. There was no doubt in his mind that Josele would be overjoyed to know that the couple’s marriage had been saved.
“What a peculiar woman,” Nacht muttered, feeling a smile come to his face just thinking of everything Josele had done in only two days. “What else could possibly happen now?”
.....
The timeline of events does get extended. There’s an extra two or three days of shenanigans.
Mallory keeps on putting off telling Nacht that she’s met Finral because 1) Alecdora keeps dragging Finral off and Mallory would rather not say “I’ve seen him but I’m currently not with him” due to the inconvenience, and 2) she just wants more time with Finral herself.
So Nacht and Josele have their misadventures while Finral and Mallory have theirs.
Josele and Nacht’s misadventures include: 1) taking Sterling to an archery range since the kid is interested and when Josele tries her hand at the bow, she cuts her fingers on the fletching, 2) Josele helping some kids find their lost pets with her little animal summoning ability, and 3) Josele decorating a statue with flower wreaths and teaching Nacht and Sterling how to weave flowers together during that time.
Mallory and Finral’s misadventures include 1) getting caught up in a dance off on the streets which Finral absolutely flops since its break dancing and not ballroom, 2) coming across a runaway teen and talking things out with them (Mallory gives more grounded advice like finding a shelter while Finral’s advice is optimistic but helpful in keeping the teen’s spirits up), and 3) meeting Mallory’s sister Athena and her boyfriend, during which Finral convinces the boyfriend to go ahead with proposing.
Meanwhile, Yuno is fighting for his life against Alecdora, trying to separate him from Finral so Finral can meet up with Mallory again. Alecdora has tried clipping his wings, selling him to a pet store, and even threw him into a bird of prey exhibit at the zoo. It’s crazy.
Nacht eventually takes Josele and Sterling out for dinner, during which Nacht reveals the story behind Sterling’s lack of mother.
Sterling is Nacht’s adopted kid, but she wasn’t meant to be. She was supposed to be adopted by Morgen, Nacht’s brother.
Years ago, Morgen’s apartment building caught fire. Something about a stove being left on.
Instead of escaping immediately, Morgen went to every room he could to help others get to safety.
He eventually found a woman with one of her legs pinned under debris and a baby in her arms. The woman insisted that Morgen take her baby and leave her to die. If her baby lived, that’s what mattered.
Morgen carried the baby girl out, using his own body to protect her from the smoke and flames.
Morgen and the baby escaped, but he sustained some bad injuries.
While in the hospital, Morgen said he wanted to adopt the baby girl, named Sterling, once he was recovered. However, he wasn’t getting better, only worse.
With his dying breath, Morgen asked Nacht to take care of Sterling. “I know you have no attachment to her, brother. But please, watch over her. Don’t let the hope that lives in that child die.”
And so Sterling became Nacht’s child.
Alecdora makes a second attempt with a poison apple and Yuno saves Josele from this one.
Alecdora and Yuno face off. It ends with Alecdora “killing” Yuno.
After they return to the Faust apartment and Josele comforts Sterling, Nacht talks to Josele about staying in New York.
.....
“It’s been nearly a week since you’ve arrived, Josele. And if he hasn’t come by now, I just don’t think your so-called prince is coming at all,” Nacht whispered, trying to be gentle with the woman’s feelings.
“But he is,” Josele insisted once more. “I believe in him.”
“And maybe that belief is misplaced. You can’t hope for the impossible.”
At Nacht’s words, Josele’s expression twisted into a frown. A look which Nacht hadn’t seen since Josele had cried over Acylla and Zora’s situation days earlier. But the current frown she wore was markedly different.
“What’s with you, Nacht? Why can’t you have a little hope?” Josele asked as she leaned forward, closer to Nacht, more aggressive than she’d ever been before. “Why is it always ‘let’s stop now’ or ‘it won’t work’ or ‘it’s a waste of time’? Why are you always so gloomy?”
“I’m not gloomy, I’m realistic.” Nacht felt his chest grow tight as Josele’s eyes narrowed and she let out a sharp exhale. “You can’t always get your hopes up. Otherwise, you’ll get disappointed a lot.”
“So I should be like you and never get my hopes up?” Josele shot to her feet as she yelled.
“That’s not what I said!” Nacht rose to his feet too. “I’m just saying that hoping for the impossible will never work out!”
All Nacht has wanted to do was to spare Josele from the heartbreak of someone giving up on her. He didn’t intend to get Josele fired up, to cause her to come to the defense of her own hopes and desires.
“Well at least I have hope! Unlike you!” Josele jabbed Nacht in the shoulder, as if to emphasize. “You’re so afraid to try new things! You’re afraid to open your heart! Sometimes you’re so kind and sometimes you’re like this!” So caught up in her emotions, Josele started to pace back and forth. “And it just—! I don’t know—! All of it makes me so—! You make me so—!”
“I make you what?” Nacht pressed, leaning in close without really thinking.
“You make me so angry!” Josele snapped. “I’m angry with you, Nacht Faust!” The fierce scowl on Josele’s face was blinked away, and then she grinned. “I’m angry! Oh my gosh, I’m angry!” Her laugh, like a chime, echoed for a moment. And then, “Wait, I’m angry.”
Josele frowned again and then punched Nacht square in the stomach. The impact sent Nacht to the floor—it still shocked him how surprisingly muscular she was. Nacht groaned and held his aching torso.
“I’m sorry! Oh I’m so sorry!” Josele yelped while kneeling on the floor beside Nacht. “I didn’t think—!”
“You’re good, Josele. It’s fi—” Nacht paused when he felt Josele pick up his head and then rest it on her lap. “Josele?”
“I’m still angry, you know,” she whispered. Her fingers stroked through Nacht’s hair. “Just because not everything is as good as I want it to be, doesn’t mean I should resign myself to the bad, right?”
Nacht held his tongue for a moment. As refreshing as it had been to see Josele upset, he wasn’t going to risk a second bruise to the stomach.
“I still don’t know if your prince is coming. But… I guess we can give it a few more days.”
“Thank you, Nacht.”
It was then that Nacht dared to look up at Josele. The look on her face was… She wasn’t beaming the way she normally did. But she wasn’t scowling either. She looked… impassive. Yet peaceful. As if she was lost in thought. Something about Josele in that moment was… beautiful.
“Josele?” Nacht reached up and touched her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Hm?” Her eyes drifted down to meet Nacht’s gaze.
“We should get to sleep now. So we’re not exhausted in the morning.”
“Y-yeah…”
The silence that followed was heavy. Not even a “goodnight” was shared, only quick and quiet nods of acknowledgement.
When Josele sat back down on the couch, she noticed how fast her heart was racing. And she knew that the thought of Nacht, of standing so close to him, was the reason. But that couldn’t be right. Her True Love™ was Finral. Right?
When Nacht sat on his bed, he buried his face in his hands, feeling how warm he’d become. Seeing Josele and the new sides of her brought on by conflict, however small, had him wanting more. But she was not his to love.
Rest wouldn’t come easy to either of them that night.
.....
The morning before the ball, Mallory finally is able to get Finral away from Alecdora for good (taking Finral to her sisters’ place ensured that the man wouldn’t come knocking).
And Mallory is finally able to explain to Finral that she knows where Josele is.
Nacht receives a call from Mallory and she explains everything to him.
Mallory brings Finral over to Nacht’s apartment for the reunion.
Finral tries to prompt Josele into song but it’s Mallory who picks up on it and tries to feed Josele the words.
Still, everyone (except Sterling) agrees that Finral and Josele should return to Andalasia together. But not before a date in New York and some time at the ball that evening.
While Josele and Finral head out for their date, Nacht and Mallory sit down and chat.
Mallory: Sorry I couldn’t bring Finral by sooner.
Nacht: Mallory, it’s fine. You were probably busy with work so it makes sense that—
Mallory: No no, I wasn’t putting it off. I literally couldn’t bring him because some other guy kept dragging him off! He was super weird and really rude too. Even his name is weird: Alec-darrel.
Nacht: That can’t be his real name.
Mallory: That’s what it sounded like to me. Also, this bird kept on finding its way to me and it acted a lot smarter than the birds I usually meet. I haven’t seen him in a couple days though.
Nacht: That must be the Yuno bird Josele told me about.
Mallory: The bird’s name is Yuno? Not something like “Cheep” or “Chirpy”?
When Josele comes back from the date, she’s very worried about going to the ball. Mallory and Sterling immediately volunteer to help.
.....
The time came for the ladies to pick out dresses to wear to the ball.
“If you really want to get… to get Nacht’s attention, try wearing complementary colors,” Josele remarked while eyeing the rows of dresses.
Her chest ached as she thought about how lucky Mallory was to have Nacht’s attention on her. To be the one to make him stop and stare in awe. But why? Josele had Finral so why did she want Nacht to see her, to admire her?
“S-since your hair is such a lovely shade of red, you would look good in green.”
“Yeah! Daddy says green makes my hair look extra pretty too!” Sterling piped up. “I’ll go find something for Mallory! Just you wait and see!”
“Hmm.” Mallory pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. “But isn’t Finral’s tunic green? It’d look weird if he and I… matched.”
The suggestion of which actually made Mallory’s heart flutter. She knew how silly her thoughts were but she couldn’t help it. The days spent beside Finral repeated in her mind and she wanted to remain beside him, even knowing they were both promising themselves to others.
Josele gave a weak laugh and shook her head before saying, “Oh no, it’s fine if you two matched.” She shrugged. “You two already do a fine job of matching energies so matching appearances isn’t out of the question.” She blinked and caught herself. “N-not that you and Nacht don’t also get along well! You’re both intelligent and understanding of me and Finral’s… peculiarities. A-and you, uh…”
“Sele, it’s okay.” Mallory took Josele’s hands in her own then patted the back of them. “I know Nacht and I aren’t two peas in a pod, but we’ve managed.” With a reassuring smile, she stepped back. “Now, let’s think about what you’ll wear. You ought to look like a princess for… for Finral, huh?”
A sickening jealousy twisted Mallory’s stomach. There had to be something wrong with her for wanting to be with Finral despite Josele being his True Love™. So she pushed down the wish for Finral to serenade her as his love.
“Let’s think about what you’ll wear now.” Mallory approached the dress rack. “Black goes with everything. And I know you’re more for blue but I personally think purple works better with black.”
“Yes, they make quite a pair…” Josele muttered, immediately imagining Nacht in the black suit and purple dress shirt she’d seen him wear the night they met. It was a dark and elegant look. Nacht looked…
“Oh right! Nacht!” Mallory yelped. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear black or purple because then you’d kinda be wearing Nacht’s colors! Not that it’d be bad if you did. It’d actually be good. More than good! Great even!” Mallory paced the boutique floor and gesticulated wildly as she spoke. It was quite cute, how animated and lively she was.
Smiling as she watched, Josele recalled when she first met Mallory. The red-haired woman seemed like she had been trying to restrain her feelings that fateful morning. But now, her fluster was on full display. It was cute. And she seemed more like herself.
“Because you two honestly look great together in my opinion. NOT THAT YOU’RE TOGETHER! WE CLEARED UP THAT CONFUSION ALREADY!” Mallory laughed in a way that sounded painfully forced. She then turned to Josele. “What I’m trying to say is that you’ve done each other good! I mean, you’ve brought Nacht out of his shell and he’s really gotten you adapted to New York!”
Josele blinked. “Finral hasn’t gotten used to New York?”
“Not really?” Mallory replied while giving a shrug. “He’s not talking to buses anymore but… It’s just not the place for him.”
“Well I quite like it,” Josele admitted. “It’s not as pretty as the forest I grew up in, but there’s so many people and so much to do. Each new day is an adventure.”
“There sure is a lot. Though I personally would want adventures like fighting a troll,” Mallory joked and earned a giggle from Josele as well.
The laughter between Josele and Mallory died down however. Though neither said it out loud and neither recognized how the other felt, there was a sad tension shared between them. The lives that they initially saw for themselves were no longer what they wanted.
“Mallory!” Sterling piped up, finally returning from her search. “I found the perfect dress for you!” She looked between the women. “Did I come back at a bad time?”
“No no no, Sterling!” Josele quickly knelt down by the girl. “Thank you for coming back.”
“You said you had a dress for me?” Mallory asked, hoping to dissipate the earlier atmosphere.
Sterling glanced between them again. She may have only been six, but even she knew that something was wrong.
.....
The ball scene! AAAAAHHHHH!
Finral would try to profess his love for Josele but he’d fumble it, so unlike his usual eloquent self. He’s got Mal on the mind.
Josele does her best to compliment Mallory and Nacht as a couple but Mallory points out that she looks sickly when trying to speak.
Mallory and Nacht can barely look each other in the eyes because they know they love Finral and Josele. But they stubbornly think they should stick with how things are.
Finral dances with Mallory. Nacht dances with Josele. Both men hold the women as close as they can in the dance because no one wants to let goooooo!
Still, Finral guides Josele away so they can return to Anadalasia. And when he goes to get Josele’s cloak, Liliane (disguised as a hag) comes and offers Josele the poison apple.
Finral only tries True Love’s Kiss with Josele once. After one try, he knows it’s not gonna work.
When Nacht tries to deny that his kiss might save her, Mallory snaps at him, “Don’t you dare give up. Josele needs you!”
Josele’s fight against Liliane is much bloodier, actually drawing blood from the evil queen.
But it’s Yuno pecking Liliane directly in the eyes which makes her fall to her doom.
Once the dust settles, the four adults finally speak honestly.
Mallory and Nacht officially break up and wish each other the best with their new loves.
Finral and Josele bid each other goodbye and hope for one another’s happily ever afters.
Mallory takes to the fairy tale world well, evening singing her own song on her first day.
After a year of dating, Mallory and Finral have their full fairy tale wedding.
Josele gets herself established in the real world, working some odd jobs before being able to establish her own boutique.
While Nacht does propose early on, they still take a couple of years to date and plan.
.....
“And they all lived happily ever after. The End,” Sterling stated with finality. “So? What do you think?”
Sterling’s younger siblings—Dawn, Dusk, Sirius, Merel, and Vivian—stared in awe.
“It explains why Mommy’s so good with animals,” commented Dusk.
“Mommy was gonna be a princess?!” Dawn gasped.
“But she married a lame lawyer instead…” Merel grumbled.
“Daddy’s job isn’t lame!” Sirius retorted.
“Daddy’s kinda lame for being kidnapped by a dragon though,” Vivian muttered.
“Kids, it’s time for bed!” Josele said before poking her head into the living room.
Nacht leaned his head into the door frame too. “And what was that about me being lame?”
“Sorry Daddy,” Vivian whispered.
Together, Nacht and Josele tucked in the kids before going to their own bed.
“Are we living happily ever after, Josele?” Nacht whispered as he stroked her hair.
“I’d like to think so…” she whispered back, smiling.
@sailor-muno's request for the current event for Finral and her oc Mallory. She requested the use of B7 in a romantic sense.
Summary: Finral thinks of Mallory, of his love for her and the future he hopes to share with her.
Genre: romance
Word count: ~900
..........
All was right in the world. Or at least all was right in Finral’s world.
It was a beautiful spring day with a bright blue sky and a refreshing breeze in the air. He sat outside a quaint cafe and across the table from him was Mallory, his angel of a girlfriend. She had a cup of tea pressed to her lips in a dainty manner. When she set the cup back down on the saucer and smiled at Finral.
“I think the tea this season has been the best it’s been,” Mallory remarked with a fond sigh. “Maybe it has to do with knowing that we’ve averted the end of the world!” Her laugh was like a wind chime, or perhaps a silver bell.
“I think it does,” replied Finral.
With a tilt of her head, Mallory’s grin grew until her teeth showed from between her lips. There she was. So cute and easy-going.
Despite knowing her for several years. Despite having dated for months at that point. Despite already seeing so many sides of her. His heart still fluttered like a butterfly, fresh from a cocoon and eager to try its new wings, all for her.
It was a love that was brand new each day.
“We still have to go back to work though. Lots of rebuilding to do.” Mallory tapped the side of her up with a finger as her gaze lifted to the distant sky.
“Yeah. It won’t be fun but it’s necessary. Especially having to basically train our vice captain on how to do his own job…” Finral shouldn’t have frowned, not while he should’ve been enjoying his date. Stupid deadbeat vice cap—
“Bwahahahaa!” Mallory threw her head back and her hair wavered in the air like dancing flames. “Nacht looked ready to burn the paperwork, didn’t he!”
Finral snorted at Mallory’s accurate assessment. Just like that, Mallory had turned Finral’s mood right around.
That feeling—or perhaps a whole host of loving emotions—which Mallory inspired in Finral’s heart compelled him to stare at gems and rings for hours on end until he had found the perfect one for her. The barely there weight in his pocket felt like the world on Finral’s shoulders.
Finral wanted to believe he was ready. He hoped that Mallory might feel ready too.
“You know Mallory,” Finral started as he set down his tea cup. “On the topic of the future…” He wanted to take breaths to steady himself but he also didn’t want Mallory to notice and think something was up. Stop worrying, stop it! Mal loves you, what’re you even scared of? “What do you imagine for the future?”
“The future?” Mallory blinked a couple times. With pouted lips, she picked up her cup. “Let’s see… Definitely wanna continue working in the Magic Knights… Though I’ll have to retire eventually…” She took sips of tea between her words. “And, well, I’d like to travel a little… Since Spade is opening up to Clover… There’s Diamond too…”
Finral’s hand, and his tea cup, started to shake. He wasn’t getting discouraged, no. It felt awkward to hear Mallory talk of the future and make no mention of their future, that was all.
“Good. It’s good that you’re, uh, thinking…” Finral’s voice trailed off but he quickly caught himself. “You know, I’ve been thinking too.”
Finral reached across the table to hold Mallory’s free hand. Their fingers intertwined as if on instinct. Their eyes locked. With Finral’s other hand, he slowly reached for the ring box.
“I’ve never thought much of what I wanted beyond being a Magic Knight but you’ve changed that,” Finral stated without so much as a wobble in his voice. “Thanks to you, I’ve begun to picture more for myself. Like standing alongside Yami and Nacht as leaders of the squad. I don’t want to return to House Vaude—”Finral shook his head, thinking back on how foolishly desperate he’d been before“—but instead, I want to start a house, a home, of my own…”
Mallory’s face had colored up to a rosy pink. So beautiful. As always. Her smile was so warm and Finral could get lost in the boundless sky and fathomless sea of her eyes.
Say it. “Most of all for my future, I want to marry you,” Finral told himself while holding the ring box in a vice grip, ready to pull it out of his pocket. Just like that.
Deep breath.
“Good thing we’ve got plenty of time, huh?” Mallory asked as she gave Finral’s hand a squeeze. “And we’ve got each other too! Nothing to worry about with that in mind.”
He realized that she was right. There was time. And they didn’t have to be married to be together.
“Uh… Yeah…” Finral uttered emptily as his thoughts of proposing faded. He let go of the box.
He had summoned all his courage to say it, but the attempt ended in failure. Awkwardly, he averted his eyes.
“What’s with that face? Did I say something weird?” Mallory asked and leaned forward.
“No no! Not weird!” Finral waved his free hand in the air. He felt a blush rising. “Just really cute!" No lie there at least. "You’re always doing that, ya’ know! Being super adorable at unexpected times! Ah ha ha ha…”
Mallory eyed him suspiciously before grinning, pleased.
“I’m glad I haven’t lost my charm with you, Finny.”
“You? Stop charming me? Never!”
Finral and Mallory’s laughter rose in the air.
Whatever the future held didn’t matter, Finral realized. As long as the now with Mallory was well, he knew he could make it.
