One Month a Two Days Since Summoning Day, Jaune, Age 15
Makoto and I waited in the lab while Eliza ran tests on Ryan's Bracelet. We wanted to figure out how we made that Heroic Titan thing and if we could use it. It didn't take long for her to look up from the computer and give us an answer with widened eyes
"What's wrong? Is he okay?" Makoto asked
"More than okay. It seems he's unlocked a new ability," Eliza answered, the shock written over her face, "We had expected you all to do that but not this soon. Especially not one so powerful"
"What exactly does it do?"
"From what I can gather from the Shifter's code, it seems to go through his mind and and generate...anything. The only limit seems to be that he needs to have seen it," She said, rubbing her temples. It was clear she was stressed and I went to place a hand on her shoulder. She sighed and smile, "I'm sorry. It's just that he's barely able to control his Draconic Presence. I just worry about him getting too much power too soon"
"No need to apologize. It's not like his head can get any bigger," I joked, trying to make her relax. She just smiled softly and got up, grabbing a bag, "Where are you going?"
"School," She answered. What's a Princess doing, going to school?
"Gauging the will of the youth huh?" Ryan asked, almost sarcastically
"I'll have you know, that actually is what I'm doing. If I'm going to rule one day, I need to know how to please the people I'm ruling, especially with things getting increasingly worse"
"Getting worse, or can you guys just not afford to hide it anymore?"
"Must everything be some conspiracy with you?!"
"Yes because this 'perfect world' you're trying to pitch to me does not exist! I won't be fooled like you buddies," He argued, prompting a shocked gasp. Makoto then walked over and slapped him
"That's enough," She said simply as the two stared at each other, Ryan's anger quickly fading. I swear if those two do not fall for each other, God will never let this man have peace. Ending the conversation there, Ryan sighed and grabbed his bracelet
"Call me if you need me. I'll be out digging" He simply told us before leaving. Eliza was visibly upset by his words and inspiration struck in that moment
"Mind if I go too?" I asked, much to her surprise. But that surprise faded, replaced with joy and with a simple nod of her head, we were on our way. The school was just outside the city walls, a massive complex that was divided into sectors as opposed to different schools. I suppose this way, students always have access to their seniors for guidance. Not a bad idea in theory but I'm unsure how it would go in practice. Still, I couldn't help but marvel at the size of the place, prompting Eliza to push my lower jaw back up
"Welcome to the the Zordonia Educational Center or as the people here call it, School City. Students can find all their educational and recreational means so even non-students come here often," She elaborated, seeming to enjoy herself already. it seems they have a basic understanding of how morale affects performance. If only people in our world understood such things. We wandered with me sticking close to Eliza, not wanting to get lost. I could hear whispers as people gossiped among themselves
"You seem popular"
"Well, yes and no," She answered before I suddenly felt someone grab me by the back of my shirt before being snatched back like a dog
"You..." A girl's voice said as she picked me up, still holding me like a puppy as her crimson eyes pierced my very soul, "What are you doing here with Eliza?" asked the young woman. She was slightly taller than us both with gothic clothes. Her pale skin would put my own to shame as she bore her fangs. Quickly, Eliza got between the two of us, giggling nervously
"Easy there, Sonya. This is Jaune...he's new here"
"Yes, very new! First day actually so please do not drink my blood!" I exclaimed in utter terror. Sonya looked between us, her glare only growing more intense, "Very well. But I've got my eyes on you"
"By all means, keep your eyes on me as long as you desire, my dear," I replied in my usual flirtatious tone before taking her hand for a kiss. My efforts were met with me howling in pain as she crush my hand
"He's a bold one"
"That's one way to describe it," Eliza answered with a heavy sigh as they walked away, leaving me on the ground, screaming like a baby. After that encounter, classes began. It was a class on the fundamentals of magi, oddly enough taught by a dwarf. Well I suppose when you lack the capacity for magic, you can have a more objective look. We listened as he went over the Space Between Worlds and its connection to the different races as well as the evolution of it over the years. Magic can be used for basically anything but it was only after the Unity War that its uses outside of combat were thoroughly explored. I listened, diligently taking notes the whole time. Maybe it was because this world was so foreign to me but I was actually more interested in this than anything in my world besides dancing. While jotting down notes, I felt something crash into my head. Picking it up, it was a paper plane with a note inside. Some things never change
'Are you the new Hero Yellow?'
I hummed to myself, debating how to respond. It's not like being the Hero Yellow is a big secret and besides Makoto, they can likely just tell by our clothes. Seeing no point in hiding, I wrote back 'Yes' and threw it in the direction it came from. The wind seemed to shift around to make sure it flew underneath undetected. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by the clear display of magic. Eventually he threw it right back
'Meet me after class'
Meet them after class? Why? Preparing for the worse, I steeled myself for a potential fight as class continued on. After the lecture, I waited by the door. Sure enough, a young man no younger than me approached. He actually looked rather distinct, with two sets of ears, one being standard elven and the other being not dissimilar to that of a cat's, "I take it you're the one who wanted to talk to me?"
"Oh yes! S-Sorry for hitting you in the head! My name's Merric!" He said rather shyly as he bowed his head. He seemed rather shy and I was left unsure what to do do. Though it may be insensitive, I reached to scratch his ears. He let out a sound of relief as I quickly stopped, "S-Sorry if that was weird! It's just that...Demi-Humans tend to find that comfortable and..."
"It's alright, my friend. We all have something that relaxes us," I tried to assure, keeping myself calm while he stared at me in awe, "Is everything okay?"
"Y-Yeah!! It's just I don't have a lot of friends and I've never met a hero before and figured you were my best shot at"
"Is that so?" I asked, understanding the feeling. I didn't have many friends myself at my old school but that was more so because I was too busy to make them, "Very well, Merric! I accept you as my friend!" I dramatically declared and took a bow
"Really? Great!!" He exclaimed, before engulfing me in a massive bearhug. I understood that Demi-Humans were a lot more...intimate so a hug likely wasn't a big deal for him but....
"Ow ow ow!!" I howled out in pain, certain my entire body would be crushed into a fine paste before I ever left the school. He quickly jumped off me, chuckling nervously
"Sorry! So...what do friends do typically do?"
"Well you see-" I started before pausing to think, "That's actually quite a good question. I went to the beach with Ryan and Makoto not long ago but that's not really an option for us"
"Perhaps we can just...go get something to eat and talk about ourselves?"
"It's that simple?" I asked but complied with only a shrug. We wandered around the many food stands around the campus to which I stuffed my plate with various cakes, cookies and ice cream
"You have quite the sweet tooth, don't you?"
"Of course! You need to enjoy every meal as if it were your last!"
"That doesn't mean eat yourself into an early grave, idiot" A familiar voice responded, one that immediately struck fear into my soul and caused an aching feeling in my arm. I was hesitant to turn around and have my fears actualized but sure enough, Sonya approached with the same demented aura as ever along side Eliza
"Oh hey Jaune! Made a new friend, huh?" She asked, waving as she drank her milkshake
"Oh hey, Eliza and...you?"
"My name is Sonya, you moron! Can you not remember such a simple name!?" She exclaimed but Eliza gave her a quick slap on the arm. She simply grumbled as she calmed down, "So, you and your buddy wanna hang out? I wanted to talk to you anyway" she offered and before I could reject, I was already being dragged by Merric. We sat down and ate, Merric constantly trying to strike up conversation about the weather or our hobbies but I was too scared to speak. Sonya sat her cup of tea on the table and looked at me, making my skin crawl, "So how do you know Eliza?"
With that question, my fear went away in the blink of my eyes, "That's it?" I asked simply before looking to Eliza who seemed relatively calm, "I don't mind telling her but what about you?"
"He wants to marry me," She answered, plain and simply. It shocked even me but Merric and Sonya collapsed with wide eyes and mouths before letting out a loud exclamation in unison
"HE WANTS TO WHAT!?"
"Relax. It's not what you think. I just wanna be King. It's not like I like her or anything"
"Wait... So you don't like each other and you're okay with this?"
"Why not? When my father dies, I'll need the extra help and after Cass, I'm in no rush for a relationship"
"Oh yeah... Right" Sonya said, sounding a bit sad as she looked away. Seriously who is this Cass woman? Moving on though, Merric lightened the mood with a quick spell. He put his hands together
"Wobnair emoc htruof" he chanted and a cloud formed. It then flew a little over us before generating a rainbow. The girls looked at him with a confused expression, "It was getting so gloomy so I thought I'd liven things up"
I was expecting Eliza to get angry or something. It seemed so insensitive. But instead, she grabbed his hands, "You need to chant full sentences instead of just one word. Try this," She suggested, opening up his hands, "There are different ways of controlling the flow of mana around you. The whole 'hand clasping' thing is good for beginners but is much slower. Envision the mana falling into your palms like raindrops. Then with a single word, release"
Merric nodded and closed his eyes. His hands held out before muttering "Wobnair," and creating a second rainbow with ease. He stared with stars in his eyes before crushing her in the same bearhug he got me in, "Thank you thank you thank you!!"
"You're welcome but...can't...breathe..." She struggled to say, getting a chuckle out of me and Sonya, causing us to exchange glares before I pulled him away, "I'm surprised you did that well though. Explaining it is one thing but it took me months to figure that out. You've got a real talent for it. Though I guess it makes sense, given you're an Elf/Demi-Human Hybrid"
"That's the reason I was born," He answered with a nervous chuckle, "So if you don't mind me asking. You said he wants to marry you, what's that about?"
"Well, he just wants to be King so I made game. Do enough to impress me before he goes home and I'll agree" She answered before turning to me, "You're at what? Sixty points now?"
"Sixty-five after the Turtle Bay incident"
"I wanna make sure he's fit for the role before I put a crown on his head so this is my way of doing it"
"I...see..." He said, not fully understanding. Classes ended for the day and I returned to the Castle. Ryan was already back from chasing whatever conspiracy he thought he had uncovered and Makoto was simply reading
"Welcome back! How was school?" She asked, peaking up from her book
"It was actually interesting and fun. Blows the schools in France out of the water. Only issue was this one Vampire girl. She was constantly on my case about Eliza"
"Can't blame her. You two are playing a real messed up game," Ryan said as he left the bathroom in nothing but a towel, "Shower's free is you want it by the way"
"I figured. Quit Gawking, Makoto" I called out, snickering as she buried her face back in her book, "Anyway, I think I might start going more often. I really like it"
"Just be there when we need you, okay?" Makoto insisted "I'm sure normalcy will feel real good but this isn't our world. We need to fight so we can help these people and go home"
"Don't worry. I'll be there"
"Good. Also quick question, does Thaddey know about your little 'deal'?" Ryan asked
"No...Why?" I asked, to which he just pointed behind me in response. I felt a sudden rush of bloodlust as the crown rolled right past me. Turning around, I saw King Thaddeus standing there, his majestic hair and beard floating as a malicious aura surrounded him, "O-Oh! Hello your majesty...I didn't see you there..."
"So you wish to marry my daughter? Very well. I only ask for one thing"
"Wait really?" I asked before he pulled a giant pair of scissors from seemingly nowhere, prompting a chase around the house as he chanted 'Sacrifice' like a madman
Meanwhile, Sonya, Age 55
I sigh and rest in my room. I have to admit, Cass got me a great living space even if I am just barely above a Prisoner of War on the totem pole. I just stared blankly until 'I' came in, "Can you not enter while still disguised as me? I don't want the King thinking I've escaped"
"He won't. The bastard's borderline all-knowing at this point," She answered and with a snap of her fingers, the long raven haired vampire before me turned into a young human woman with dirty blonde hair and emerald eyes, "They treating you okay?"
"The few times they let me out of this gilded cage, yes"
"Give it time. You'll earn their trust"
"Or they'll just give all the credit for my discoveries to Rito again," She grumbled, "Anyway, how was school?"
Cass groaned and flopped down on my bed, "I may have slightly ruined your reputation. Sorry," She said, her gaze softening as she looked at me, "I lost my cool when I saw Eliza with the new guy. His name's Jaune by the way"
"I know," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "You didn't kill him, did you?"
"No but every time I saw him, I got pissed off and maybe nearly broke his arm when he tried flirting"
I couldn't help but laugh while she pouted like a child and explained his and Eliza's little game to me. It was so stupid but perfect for Eliza. I was practically rolling but when I recovered though, I had a flash of inspiration, "Aren't the Election Games coming up?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Why not plant the idea in his head, say he'll impress the princess if he can win the students' hearts. From there, send it crashing down"
"Oh. My. God..." She said softly and hugged me, "You're a genius Sonya!"
"I know. They wouldn't keep me around otherwise," I joked, hugging her right back, "Just do me a favor and don't let anyone know it's you. If anyone found out, the guards would be on you and Eliza would be crushed"
"I know. Don't worry"
One Week Later, Jaune, 15
"Huh? What's going on?" I asked as I walked with Eliza through the school gates. Several students and faculty members building what looks like games
"The Election Games," Eliza answered, "Essentially, every year or so, students hold a series of games to appoint a class president. The games essentially act as a way to curry favor"
"So a fun way to get the students to be active in the running of the school," I thought aloud
"Why don't you join?" A voice asked that made me jump out of my skin. Turning around was Sonya, standing there with her arms crossed, "You wanna impress her don't ya?"
"I mean...yes but...what's your game?"
"I'm gonna give you a chance. But if you mess it up, you'll end this little game of yours"
"Hold on a second! Why do you care so much?" Eliza asked, "You've been acting weird ever since he showed up"
"I have my own reasons. Now do you accept or not?" She asked and I just stood there, thinking. It didn't take long though for me to come up with an answer
"If I run from the slightest pushback, what sort of King do you think I would be?"
"So you accept? Good. You better get going then. Sign-ups end today"
"You're on! Wait...." I muttered once I actually had time to process what she said as she walked away with a devious smirk. That sneaky little-! No, no time! In a panic, I Storm Stepped all the way to the Faculty Office to apply. The result was just that...and an awkward scolding followed by me cleaning up the mess. When lunch came time, Merric had already made posters saying 'Vote for Jaune, your Shining Light'
"What do you think? I made it myself!"
"It looks great," I answered with a nervous chuckle. Honestly, I thought the tagline was a little cheesy but I couldn't bring myself to upset him. Eliza was there too, letting out a sigh
"I already gave you a head start. I was going to compete myself but I told my supporters you would be my proxy. This had better work"
"You already had supporters?"
"Of course! Most competitors start gathering support weeks or even months in advance. Still, there isn't usually much competition. Most don't feel they're cut out for such a position. However, the ones who do, tend to be quite certain so be careful"
Later that night, the games began "Welcome one and all to the annual Election Games!!" the announcer, a dwarf with a booming voice declared. I stood on the stage alongside the other competitors. Sure enough, there were barely a dozen of us, most of which were pretty forgettable. But I saw one familiar pale face up there with me. So she even entered to make sure I lost, "Place your starting bets now then we can move on to the announcement of the games!" he ordered and everyone in the crowd did just that, using some sort of app to place their bets. As if it wasn't obvious who the main characters of this little chronicle was, me and Sonya had the highest votes, going at least over ten thousand each, "Quite the clear consensus! Now, on with the games! Our lovely student body has made a variety for your own personal enjoyment but for those competing, you must complete three tests! One of Mind, Matter and a special third test kept secret to all! Even I will not know until it comes. Get ready folks, because whoever impresses you the most will be Student Council President!". We were all lead to a massive hedge maze and given a map, "First is the Test of Mind! Simply reach the end of the maze! Whoever claims the talisman at the end of the maze is the winner!"
"A maze? Seriously? Don't see what this has to do with our mind, especially if you give us a map," An Elven candidate said with a cocky laugh. The door to the maze opened up and we charged in each splitting up. Did we have different maps? Still, I followed the path shown by the map....straight into a dead end. Looking down at the map, I noticed the path originally made for us was blocked. Then suddenly, the branches came out just as I ducked down to further inspect the map further and once again, it changes to matched the shifting branches
"I see. So the map shifts to match the maze. Not only that..." I thought aloud and saw how the walls moved. When one closed, another opened. It's the same branches blocking the paths and it can't be everywhere at once. Getting back up, I hurried through the maze, predicting where the branches would
Cass, Age 15
I'm sure by now he's realized the trick. Eliza wouldn't offer the throne to some fool. Banking on that, I waited just at the exit and planted seeds Sonya gave me. These seeds would create binding vines, throwing him out of the race immediately as he was helpless to escape. With the trap set I waited and there he was, rushing past without a second thought. Just as he crossed the trap, I stepped out, "Well look who made it? Sorry bu-"
"Sorry, no time to talk!" He exclaimed, blitzing past me and pushing me back over the trap. Suddenly, I felt the vines pull me down, holding me in place. As if it couldn't be more humiliating, two more people ran right over me. I could practically feel the footprints on my face. With a roar, a bolt of lightning struck me, destroying the vines and sending them back but...
"We have a winner!! Jaune Allard has taken the Talisman of Mind!"
With just those words, my rage was immeasurable
Jaune, Age 15
"Next up is the Test of Matter! Once again, a simple game. Just hit the button with this here hammer!" The announcer explained, holding a massive mallet in his hand. Seems two of the competitors quit after their loss, leaving me, Sonya and one other person, "This button will then send the ball up and, if you hit it strong enough, ring the bell"
"Oh, I loved this game as a child," I said with a smile as the random candidate took the hammer, only to drop to the ground the moment the announcer let go. The poor guy struggled and squirmed as he tried in vain to get it up and his voter count quickly dropped. Annoyed, Sonya took the hammer and with a large two handed strike, barely hitting the bell
"An amazing display by Sonya! But will our final competitor fairs!" He declared as Sonya, pushed the hammer into me
"Try not to be too embarrassed when you lose"
Cass, Age 15
Okay, so my last try was kind of a bust but I'm not giving up yet! I'm not stopping until their little game goes up in smoke! So I watched him. He was a pretty scrawny guy and clearly had trouble even holding the dang thing. Unless he shifted, which surely would be counted as cheating, he'd never be able match my hit. But, I wasn't going to leave it to chance. I pulled out a vial containing Subterranean Centipedes. These babies live in the tunnels that connect the dwarven cities. They're mostly harmless besides being creepy. That's enough to throw him off balance. I slowly released them and they began crawling up his leg. He began howling like a dog, dancing around before suddenly Storm Stepping up into the sky as if it were a massive jump. Since when does it have that sort of verticality. My plan fell apart when I saw the centipede fall to the ground, charred and dead followed by the newbie falling head-first onto the button. Not only did the ball shoot up and hit the bell, it blew the bell clean off, "Ladies and Gentlemen we have a winner! Once again Jaune Allard takes the win!!"
"You've got to be kidding me! He clearly used magic!"
"Forgive me, Miss. But did you not just send those bugs at him?" The announcer countered with a sly smirk!? With a red face, I quieted down and looked away. Sneaky bastard....
Jaune, Age 15
This last game was certainly interesting. It was an arena, not unlike a boxing ring. I had thought this 'Surprise Game' would be something more complicated and I honestly don't want to hit a girl. Still, I steeled my resolve and looked to Sonya, my only remaining opponent. The two projections in the sky clearly showed my voter count being well above her so even if I lost, I'd still likely win the overall games but I'll give it my all, regardless
"Lastly is the secret game, this year decided by the Dwarven Fight Association, a bare-knuckle brawl!" The announcer exclaimed, prompting cheers. Even here, violence is enjoyed, "There is only two rules! No magic and if you fall out of the ring, you're out! Ready?" he asked, to which we approached
"Fight!!"
She immediately started swinging her fists. It didn't take long for me to know something wasn't right. Her form was nearly perfect, better than any normal person I've seen here with the power to back it up. What sealed it was when she grazed my cheek and I felt the cackle of lightning. It was subtle enough to hide from the announcer but it was clear, she wouldn't stop until I was out. Still, I managed to dodge most hits before landing a kick to the jaw. You see, I had a very.... unique fighting style. Dancing and fighting aren't too far apart so I combined them into my own special art, Can Can Do! A fighting style focused on smooth movements and high kicks. If I cannot use my claw, this is the next best thing. After my foot connected with her chin, I continued to push upward before slamming down in the fashion of a brutal axe kick. She collapsed on the spot and I'm pretty sure I accidentally cracked the arena. In a panic, I let my guard down and lowered myself to check on her, "Hey, are you okay?! I didn't hurt you too bad did I? Sorry, when I get into it, I-!" I tried to apologies only to be hit with an uppercut. Still dazed, I was barely able to respond as I was picked up by my throat and pushed against the the ropes
"So sweet. I can see why she chose you. But I am not giving up!"
This was getting serious. She wasn't just trying to win. I could feel the bloodlust as my eyes slowly began to shut. Looking into the crowd though, I saw her. Eliza screaming through the crowd. Even worse, I think I saw tears. My eyes widened before narrowing. I broke her grip and grabbed her arms and locked them in with my own, holding her in place. I then flipped us both over but making sure she was slammed onto the ground. By pure luck though, my feet were still in the ring
"People of School City!! Your New Student Council President has been decided!! Congratulations to Jaune Allard!!" The announcer cheered as I pulled myself back into the ring and raised up my fist. All of Sonya's voters switched over to me. It was official. I had won. After the match, Eliza tended to my injuries, of which there were many, not just from the fight but also the fall
"Ow...Ow!!" I yelped in pain as she applied the rubbing alcohol
"Quit being a baby. You brought this on yourself"
"You weren't keeping up that energy when you were cry-Ah!" I tried to bite back but was cut off by the sting of the alcohol. The crowd has long since dispersed, either playing the many other games made or simply going home for the night. Merric approached me with the nicest smile before slowly holding out his fist
"I want to hug you so bad right now but you're in enough pain as it is" he said, only half joking as I happily returned the fist bump. He then sat down beside me, "So, Student Council President. What's the plan?" he asked and that made me think. I didn't really have a plan. I did this to impress Eliza, not to actually take care of the students. An idea arose whenever I saw Sonya walking away, disheartened
"I don't know. But I know where to start," I answered and got up to chase after here despite Eliza's protests. We met in a small alley between the dorms, "Hey..."
"What? Here to rub it in my face? I get it, I lost!" She said, tears running down her face, "I did all I could, and I lost"
"Yup. That's why I wanted to talk," I answered simply, "You know I'm the new Hero Yellow right?"
"Of course I do. Everyone does"
"And that means, sometimes I won't be for loooooong stretches of time. So I was thinking, Maybe I need a second in command, a sorta Vice President" I offered to which she scoffed
"You're kidding right?"
"No," I answered simply and came closer, holding out my hand, "Whatever your reason, you were dedicated to making sure me and Eliza called off our game. Now if you could apply that drive to something else, you'd be amazing" I explained. She looked at me with wide eyes, as if she had just heard words she had been longing to here. Still, she wasn't entirely sure but she reached out and shook my hand
"Fine. Let's give this a shot"